Tuesday, January 23, 2007

What Do You Get?

When you visit the thrift store on a day when orange tag items are 50% off?

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You get approximately 1100 yards of laceweight Cashmere/Silk yarn!!!

Okay, actually you get a woman's sweater for $2.25 but with just a little work and a stiff neck and wrists for the effort - LOL - if you are lucky and the seams are right, you get some yardage of nice yarn! This mass of shimmery pink gloss has been washed and is drying, so it doesn't look quite so much like pink noodles. I still have the sleeves to work on, which should yield more yarn.

Now, wouldn't you call that lucky?

Monday, January 15, 2007

Finally, it's here!

Or ~ Would you like some snow with that coffee, ma'm?

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Finally, winter has decided to make an appearance in Michigan. And I LOVE it! At least, as long as I don't have to get in a vehicle and actually drive anywhere, I love it. The photo of the coffee mug (above) is a little out of focus I know, but I kind of like the funky way it looks with the horses and snow in the background! I was out on the porch taking pictures of my favorite coffee mug(s) for a swap I am in that involves coffee (and prayers), called A Life Overflowing, and I thought this picture would fit in well here at my farm blog.

What do Grandma's and boys do on snowy winter days when school is cancelled? Why, they go sledding of course! Here are Alex (our foster son) and Mason (our grandson) whoosing down the hill in the east pasture:

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And here is Mason climbing back up the hill. I don't think he ever stopped grinning the whole time we were outside and he kept saying "Sledding is FUN!"

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Sporty Cat joined us for the entire time, calmly taking several rides down the big hill with the boys and climbing on their prone, snow covered selves every time one took a spill. Who needs a rescue dog, we have Rescue Cat!

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The sheep took note of what we were doing, but declined to join in the fun (probably just as well, since Autry - the ram - may have taken issue with us spending time in HIS pasture. That's Autry, the large white sheep closest to the camera in the photo below. Bridgett is the girl with the snow covered face) Just to be sure, we shut them in the barn while we played in the pasture.

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Sledding was followed by hot cocoa with 'shmallows....Mason's name for marshmallows.

And finally, what do you do on a cold and snowy day if you are a pampered house kitten? Why, you curl up on the couch with a nice afghan, close to your brother:

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(By the way, we have tried to convince Sporty Cat to make the move from pampered BARN cat to pampered HOUSE cat. She will have NONE of it! But I wish she would change her mind, especially on these really cold days)

Life is sweet, and as I sit here blogging I am knitting on a warm and snuggly shawl project that is large enough now to keep me warm while I work! Hope everyone is safe and sound this fine January day...thinking especially of friends in Missouri who have livestock to care for....

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Nothing Simple About This Lovely Yarn!

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Last year, I signed on to Rae's Handspun Sock Yarn Swap. The challange was to spend some time spinning a sock yarn for a secret pal. Spinning for me was Mary in Missouri (Mary does not have a blog, but many of you know her from the Townsend Sock Lists and also the SockKnittersSAM Yahoo lists) We were to mail our packages the week of January 8th and yesterday, my goodie package arrived! I was in love as soon as I saw the color of this yarn!!! The picture above shows the yarn as well as the goodies....tape measure (always need those!); note pad and pen; the pattern Mary wrote for SockKnittersSAM "Diagonal Columns Socks" (how did you know this was on my "to make" list, Mary?) and a lovely set of cards that quote Psalms 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it"

Well, I certainly am rejoicing over this yarn and getting to know Mary! We have had a wonderful time corresponding with one another all of this time that the Spin-A-Long was going on (even though I didn't know who she was) We just had fun getting to know one another and hearing about what was happening in each others lives and talking about spinning. It was one of those things where you know instantly that you like each other and would enjoy sitting around the table knitting or in front of the fire spinning.

And since its all about the yarn, here is a little closer picture:

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Now I am off to write to Mary and find out more details about this yarn....I think she told me what breed the fiber was, but I can't remember. It is soft and bouncy - just the kind I love!

Thank you Mary, and thank you Rae for coming up with this idea! I have details of my own sock yarn, spun for my secret pal, but I won't write about it of course, until she receives her package!

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Some 2007 Knitting

Since I hadn't posted any knitting content recently, I thought I would share a few of the 2006 knitting projects that have spilled over into 2007 ~ otherwise known as Works In Progress!

The first two are secret projects...things being knitted for someone else who might take a peek at this blog, so I will keep the details sketchy!

First up is the Branching Out scarf, Knitty Spring 05 by Susan. Oh, do I ever LOVE this pattern (click on Susan's name to go to her blog and then link to this FREE pattern)! AND the yarn I am knitting it with (even though it contains some acrylic - 40%; the other 60% is Mohair)....Filatura Di Crossa in color 5001. I am using Denise size 7 needles.

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It will be even more beautiful when it is blocked, and I will surely knit this again in some of my own handspun and hand dyed yarn, but for the moment I am enjoying the beauty of the pattern and the elegant change of colors in this purchased yarn.

Next is a pattern from Sylvia Harding, being worked from laceweight, natural color yarn from our sheep Violet:

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That is all I will say about this project for now, until the recipient receives her gift (grin) I will put in a little plug for myself here....the yarn for both this shawl and the socks below, grown by Violet and Ainsley (two of our sheep), is available from me by visiting this link Serenity Farms) Visit our website when you have the chance!

Next is one of several pairs of socks on the needles, my favorite Crusoe pattern (free at Knitty) knit with Ainsley (natural colored Corriedale) yarn...this feels soooo good on the feet, its like wearing socks and getting a foot massage all at the same time! I'm using US size 2 needles

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This pair is for my daughter, she already knows they are coming to her and she can't wait. You might see from the photo that I have nearly finished the heel flap on the second sock, then it will be on to the foot and finish! This was our November Sock Knit Along for the sock knitting group, Sip-n-Socks, I am involved with at our local yarn/coffee shop, Sip 'n Knit, in Ithaca Michigan. I got sidetracked by December knitting...

The sock below is our December/January sock for the Sip-n-Sock Club and is called Bells and Whistles by Mona Schmidt, published in the Holiday issue of Interweave Knits..

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I love everything about this pattern and the yarn I am knitting mine from! It is Meilenweit Mega Boots Stretch sock yarn, the colorway is 716 ~ an enchanting scarlet that fades in and out with charcoal and even a dusting of golden yellow that you don't really see until you look close. I went down to a needle size US 1 to knit my pair.

And that's enough for now ;) Please know that these four projects are only a small representation of my current knitting projects....is that horribly pathetic??? I don't think I will even try to list the others and of course, this does not account for the SPINNING projects in the works!!!

But I know that 99% of the knitters and spinners who read my blog will understand ;)

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Denise asked

One of my favorite friends, Denise, asked us this New Years Day question ~ in just a few words, where would we like to see 2007 take us?

I thought about this and the simple answer that came to me was ~ FORWARD. And my prayer for that would be "Lord, lead me to the place where you want me to be in my life for this time....and remind me that I have your precious Holy Spirit to guide me along the way. For my part, I resolve to stop long enough to listen and to be happy (at peace) with the journey and where it takes me - as long as its with You"