Yarn Along..

Knitting: 

Janina Kallio's beautiful shawl 'Wildheart' with a skein of

madder dyed luxe yarn .

Dyeing:

Lots of dyeing.. This is 'Gertrude'.  Inspired by my favorite

unfinished painting by Gertrude Half.

Weaving:

Finally got around to framing the tapestry woven at

the lovely Natalie Miller's weaving class last summer.

Reading:

Okay..this book is a goodie.

Loving 'The Creative Habit' by Twyla Tharp.

It has got my wheels spinning.

Happy Yarnie Wednesday!

~

Joining Ginny

Yarn Along..

At the beginning of the the year I ripped out all my unfinished knits.

Kind of cleans the slate for the new year..

Then I happened upon a bag of yarn in a thrift store this week.

It contained one (almost) finished mitt,

One and a half balls of yarn,

and

(gasp)

the pattern.

Of course I bought the bag!

The yarn is fabulous ~ The Fibre Co. : Road to China

So I sat down and studied the mitt.

Rip it ~ or ~ knit it.

KNIT!!

It was so much fun trying to figure out the size and gauge the knitter used.

I got to thinking about the lone mitt and how it ended up in a thrift store.

Why don't I feel so much love and curiosity for my

unfinished knits?

The other mitt will be finished soon.

I'll be a bit sad when they are finished but the journey was sure fun!

~ Happy Knitting ~

Yarn Along..

Our December weather has been extremely mild.

It is such a treat to throw the doors open and enjoy

experimenting with the colors of Madder.

The diversity of  the Madder root has captured my heart. 

While I miss the snow it has been wonderful to enjoy

long warm walks on our favorite trail.

... that moon ...

Just finished reading:

The Children's Blizzard

This story kept me up to the wee hours of the morning to finish the book.

It particularly appealed to me as our distant relatives were immigrants 

from Norway and settled in the Dakotas.

After reading this I can't believe anyone survived 

leaving their homeland, homesteading, and the wrath of Mother Nature!

~

Joining Ginny

Yarn Along..

September starts my favorite time of the year.

I am autumns child.

It kicks off with the annual 'Harvest Festival'

and the (be still my heart) antique sale at the barn.

Always full of treasures, but for me it is really about just 

getting to "be" in that gorgeous barn once a year.

Spent some time in the village poking around shops.

Then home to start labeling yarns for vending at Penn's Colony.

..naturally dyed..

::love::

Just checked this out at the library last night and can't wait to 

read it:

Nature's Colors: Dyes from Plants by Ida Grae

Knitting away on the Antarctis which is perfect for

days filled with blue skies and falling leaves.

~

Joining Ginny

Yarn Along..

Number 6.

Does anyone else have a pattern they like to serial knit??

Gosh..

I go back to the lovely Antarktis

every. time.

Pattern by the lovely Janina Kallio Designs.

(be sure to check out her Solace shawl in previous post)

Oh.. and a new favorite project bag by 'Yarn Pop'.

The small bag is perfect for one cake of sock yarn.

Reading and loving..

Its a fun read that I can't seem to put down and totally

makes me wish I was hitting the trail.

~

Joining Ginning

Yarn Along..

I have been wanting to knit Mara's 'Rose City Rollers' sock pattern

for what seems like forever.  Finally got around to dyeing up a yarn that felt right

for the pattern..  

.."Modern Gingham"..

Inspired by my favorite vintage gingham garden shirt.

Orange Knits Designs 'Rose City Rollers' pattern is beautifully written,

easy to follow, and fun knit!  Please be sure to check it out on Ravelry.  You'll be running for your sock needles.

Reading:

I love survival stories and have NOT been able to put this book down.

It must stem back to my childhood and the little jar of ashes (that I still have)

that my aunt sent me when Mount St. Helens erupted.

Now that I think about it, that little jar has a gingham lid.

~

Joining Ginny

Yarn Along..

re • claim: To bring into or return to a suitable condition for use, as cultivation of habitiation.

This warp.

Currently on the Saori Loom -

Reclaimed, thrifted, recycled sweater, and hand spun yarns.
A complete conglomeration of deliciousness.

The use of salvaged materials frees me.

This cast aside yarn is getting a new life.

There are no expectations.

A little bit of this..a little bit of that..

No fears or hesitation.

Which leads me to Craig's List.

Gosh I love Craig's List...

So I stumbled on this little beauty this past week.

A barely used Schacht tapestry loom (with stand).

YES!

This is the first weaving I made on her.  It is ready to come off the loom, but

there is still warp to be advanced so I am weaving another before I take this one off.

Weaving tapestry is incredibly fun!

This was woven with all reclaimed fibers...Sweater bits, yard sale finds,

and estate sale yarn.  

Reading:

Completely lost in the beauty and history of the Bauhaus weavers..

~

Joining Ginny

Yarn Along..

Slowly chipping away at the unfinished object pile 

of knitting projects (UFOs)

Adore this scarf pattern by Janina Kallio

~ Terrain~

Knit with some of my naturally dyed yarn:

Golden rod over-dyed with Indigo.

I find myself impatient for the Queen Anne's Lace

and Golden Rod to come this year...

Reading some lovely natural dye books from the library.

Trying hard to finish the UFOs before casting on something new.  

Knitting on a 3 year old wrap from hand spun now, but 

couldn't resist casting on the Moto Vest by Shelli Westcott.

So simple and chunky yarn..

Looking wonderful from all the 

Woolful podcast chatter...

I said trying right?

~

Joining Ginny

(PS - Ellen .. If you are out there.. can you please send me an email? I can't seem to email you with the address I have  xoxo)

Yarn Along..

"...Now in those times, bits of sky could be eaten.  

It was different from other foods.  

Rice fills the belly, but sky fills the heart.  

The woman reached for the sky and broke off a piece, 

But eating the sky could be dangerous business.  

One could become selfish in their desire, intoxicated, and this was a terrible taboo.

The woman's hunger was stronger than her fear of what she knew had been forbidden, 

and she devoured more and more, until she was drink with it.

As punishment, God pulled the sky higher.

With the heavens now so far above, and God even farther, the people of the land and their children, and their children for generations to come, each filled with their own great hunger, were set out on a trail of infinite desire.

Their longing was made material in the bluest of God's 

blues - in garments dyed in indigo.'

-Adapted by the author from West African folklore, various provenances

Partial except by Catherine McKinley's book above:

Indigo: in search of the color that seduced the world.

~

Joining Ginny..

Yarn Along..

Rain on the roof.

Gray.

Twinkle lights and coffee.

Fire crackling.

Naturally dyed yarn in a dreamy apricot.

Reading Sheila Hicks.

I sooo need a copy of this book.

Joining Ginny...

~

Yarn Along..

Knitting on a "Nori" shawl with some

naturally dyed yarn from the summer dye pots.

Logwood.. gosh I love Logwood.

This little skein was accidentally cut during the re-skeining process

so I got to keep it...  y a y ....!

Reading from the guild library:

A Handweaver's Pattern Book

by Marguerite P. Davison

My mind is a sea of pattern and color fueled 

by reclaimed fiber, textures outside my window,

the dye pots..

..it's endless really.

Wishing you a most happy, healthy, creative New Year!

~

Yarn Along..

Spend a little time camping last weekend.

Packed up my stuff and settled into the cabin.

Deep woods.

Hiking.

River time.

Took some things to get ready for the 

Indy Knit and Spin Festival this weekend...

and of course some knitting!

This morning:

Coffee in the studio..

clouds..

birds talking at the feeder..

.. and label ALL the woolz..

: )

~

Joining Ginny

Go-to..

Ah...The Antarktis..

How I adore this pattern.

This is the third time I've knit it and it won't be the last.

It is the first thing I grab when heading out the door.

Perfect size..

Perfect drape..

Just plain cozy.

Knitting this one with a skein of my hand dyed yarn.

Had the hankering for for chartreuse and purples.

Do you have a go-to knit that you love?

~

Antarktis: by Janina Kallio

Pattern available via Ravelry

~ joining Ginny~

Weeds are beautiful..

Naturally dyed yarn created with Queen Anne's Lace.

From Wiki:

It is so called because the flower resembles lace; the red flower in the center is thought to represent a blood droplet where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace. The function of the tiny red flowes to attract insects.

My go-to natural dye book so far has been Jenny Dean's 'Wild Color'

Currently reading this one from the library..

It has me thinking about japanese maple leaves, red cabbage, and coffee!

Too bad the USDA considers Queen Anne's Lace a 'noxious weed'.

I think weeds can be beautiful.

~

Joining Ginny.

Yarn Along..

For some time my mind has been wrapped up in trying to figure out how 

to create a certain fabric..

As it turns out what I was dreaming of was Saori..

"Sai" ~ meaning everything has its own individual dignity

"ORI" ~ means weaving

Saori Slogans:

1. Consider the differences between a machine and a human being.

2. Be bold and adventurous

3. Let's look out through eyes that shine

4. Inspire on another, and everyone in the group.

There are no mistakes..

I'm free!!

"Beauty with lack of intention" 

This wrap was created on my little 15" rigid heddle cricket loom with a mixture of 

stashed yarns and handspun.

Library love:

Fabulous book.. 

~

..Be bold..

..Look out through eyes that shine..

..Inspire..

~

Joining Ginny..

Yarn along..

Hoe some weeds..

Stoke the campfire..

Knit some teeth..

Summer in the garden.

~ Pattern: Hitchhiker by Martina Behm via Ravelry ~

Finished reading:

Another interesting perspective of life on Harborside, Maine

with Helen and Scott Nearing.  

Melissa Coleman's memoir has been my favorite so far:

Going to have to pick it up and read it again after reading Jean's book.

Wishing you "the good life"..

lazy summer days full of knitting and reading.

~

Joining Ginny

Yarn Along..

Hand dyed Pile-O-Fluff..

..tucked in my bag for some Easter spinning at the cabin.

Cabin window complete with Easter bunting.

Tossed the drop spindle in my pack and hiked to our favorite spot on the river.

Sun!

River spun.

River otter and porcupine.

This fiber is part of a two ounce challenge for my spinning group.

Spin two ounces on the drop spindle and make something with it.

Cast on this week for a small shawlette..

Will post the pattern once I have a bit more done.

Library love:

Reading this to curb spring wanderlust.

~

Joining Ginny..