Thursday, May 29, 2008

Mittens, Socks and Snacks

Following Elizabeth Zimmerman's suggestion (and being struck with a desire to work on some mittens myself) I took the month of May to make mittens. Here you see the three pairs I worked on all month:

3Mittens_a

From left, EZ's own Mitered Mitten pattern from Knitters Almanac (one of my all time favorite books), incorporating the changes/suggestions found at Kathryn Ivy's blog and on Ravelry (wonderful tips, by the way!) They are worked in the Noro type yarn put out by Plymouth Yarn Company. The mitten to the right of the photo (kind of hard to see because it is dark) is my own version of the Spiral Rib pattern in a mitten, knit from Ainsley's natural brown Corriedale yarn and trimmed with white Corriedale lamb/Angora bunny on the cuff. And in the center is a pattern also of my own design, an Entrelac Mitten pattern (that I like....couldn't find any out there in that I liked the looks of so made one up as I went) The yarn...well, I just love the yarn! The main color is Cascade Superwash wool, but the contrasting colors are hand-dyed "Skinny Skeins" from my colorfully talented friend, Cherie Selles of Orchard Hill Fleece Farm here in Michigan. My next pair, I think, will be from shades of my natural colored fleeces ;)

As with most newly and hastily written/created patterns we have found errors while test knitting. Corrections are being made and then I will probably offer the pattern..maybe even as a kit. My friend Nellie, from our Sip-n-Socks knitting group commented that knitting this pattern (especially with these yarns) is addictive...you can't stop till you find out how the next tier looks!

ShadySide

The yarn above is from a fellow Michigan farmer and shepherd, Lona and family at Shady Side Farm. I love to support others who do the kinds of things I do and I fell in love with this yarn that Lona had dyed. She laughingly called it Guns and Roses, but it makes me think of the little pink quartz or granite type stones I find in my driveway and fields. I am designing a sock pattern especially for this yarn. The design is working in my head but hasn't quite made it properly to the needles. Look for it in days ahead, and please pay a visit to Lona's blog and etsy shop!

Finally, look at this lovely plate of deserts!!!

DesertPlate

LOL...these little yarn confections are the creation of my friend Donna, also a fellow Michigander and fiber dreamer ;) Aren't they just the sweetest little morsels? I bought them intending to add them to some gifts I was putting together, but I may just use the yarn as a trim on a project. She calls them 100 Calorie Snack Yarns, but I say they are quite decadent, Donna!

That is most of my knitting work for the month of May, along with some sampling of a few spun yarns for lace. What have you been working on in May?

Friday, May 23, 2008

Small Lots of Fleece For Sale ~ SOLD

ETA...All of the fleeces listed here have sold ~ thank you for looking! Please visit our website to see what might be available at this time ;)

CAITLIN ~ Corriedale ewe

Caitlyn_08

I consider this one of my nicest white fleeces - it has it all! Very bright white, staple length averaging 4 inches, beautiful crimp and a dense, plush softness typical of my Corriedales. If you have never tried Corriedale fleece before, this one should win you over! 4 pounds at $12 per pound for $48 plus shipping **SOLD**

DELIGHT ~ Corriedale ewe lamb (Caitlyn's daughter)

Delight_08

This has the finest crimp of the fleeces offered here - it is very fine and with a staple length of 4 to 4.5 inches. Although coated, she has some pretty dirty tips (this happens sometimes with the finer fleeces) and so I am discounting to $12 per pound (lamb fleeces are usually $15). 2.5 pounds available for $30 plus shipping **SOLD**

DONOVAN ~ Corriedale ram lamb

Donovan_08

A more traditional Corriedale fleece with good crimp. Average staple length 4 to 4.5inches. 4 pounds at $15 per pound for $60 plus shipping **SOLD**

This is a good opportunity for you to try Serenity Farms Corriedale wool!

I have also been doing some spinning and knitting, along with fence building. The cold, windy weather here in Michigan has not been very good for garden work though I have been doing some weeding in the perennial beds. What has everyone else been up to?

Let me know if you have any questions about the above fleeces ~ look forward to hearing from you, and hoping the web site will be back up and running soon!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

May Days

Spring has sprung, as the saying goes, and though we always look forward to it, the season also brings a lot more work and outside obligations...And not a lot of time at the computer for things like updating the blog ;}

I wanted to share something I read a while ago from a devotional I treasure called "Streams In The Desert" by Charles Cowman. If you ever have a chance to look at these writings, do. You can find them online. Maybe it is just the place I am at in my life right now, but these words written by one of God's own really resonate with me. For some reason, this selection made me think of Mothers (and Grandmothers) on Mothers Day. We have countless joys and blessings and precious moments as moms and grandma's...but also many sorrows and heartaches, and I know that for me I couldn't bear some of them without my Precious Lord to lead me.

I hope all the women reading this had a blessed Mothers Day this year! And hopefully I will find time for some photo updates soon!

If all my days were sunny, could I say,
"In His fair land He wipes all tears away"?

If I were never weary, could I keep
Close to my heart, "He gives His loved ones sleep"?

Were no graves mine, might I not come to deem
The Life Eternal but a baseless dream?

My winter, and my tears, and weariness,
Even my graves, may be His way to bless.

I call them ills; yet that can surely be Nothing but love that shows my Lord to me! ~ Selected, from Streams in the Desert