Foggy With a Chance of Clarity

Our landscape was overtaken by fog so quickly that I barely had a chance to take this image.  We were engulfed in the pea-soup variety in under a minute, then it raced off to blanket another nearby hill.  I was struck by its swiftness, which then made me think how quickly the month of January has passed.

My trip to Vogue Knitting Live was 2 weeks ago, and I enjoyed being part of The Yellowfarm & Company's booth.  It was great to see so many KRR friends, and thanks to everyone that stopped by to say hello!  I've been planning for upcoming fiber shows, teaching a spinning class at The Spinning Room, and pondering colorways for our newest yarn "Stone Soup".  This yarn is a 50/50 blend of light grey Romney and white alpaca - spun for us by Battenkill Fibers in Washington County, using locally sourced fiber.  This line will be rolling out online in the next couple of weeks.

It's been a very mild winter for us up to this point.  Each day that passes is a day closer to spring.  I'm looking forward to the emerging colors, and am trying to devise a way to make the most pleasant moments of the day linger.  All relative, as Einstein would say.

On The Road!

This weekend, I’ll be heading to NYC to Vogue Knitting Live where I’ll be selling my handpainted yarns at the Yellowfarm & Company’s booth in the Marketplace. The booth (1016-1018) is on the first level, near the Yarn Tasting lounge. I’m really excited to have this time to meet with people, talk fiber, and spend time with friends.   Peace, Love & Yarn will be offering fingering weight yarns in a rainbow of color, great for socks or (my favorite) lace!

There will also be a teaser of our new DK weight yarn.  This has been in the works for a while and we're really thrilled with the result.  Battenkill Fibers in Greenwich, NY has custom spun a blend of 50% alpaca/50% wool for us - all fibers sourced locally.  This line is called "Stone Soup", for my favorite folktale, in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts - a perfect analogy for this yarn.

Our new offerings tie in with the focus of the Yellowfarm's theme of "Local".  Virginia owns the Yellowfarm and raises prize-winning Wensleydale and Teeswater sheep.  Locks, roving and yarns from the farm will be in abundance.  Cece raises of flock of Jacob sheep and has created beautiful hats (and kits) using lockspun yarns created from the fibers of her own sheep and from Virginia's flock as well.  She will be demonstrating spinning throughout the weekend.  And there will be other goodies as well...

We hope to keep the “Buy Local” spirit alive and well. Small farms, fiber mills, indie dyers and artisans of all types rely on the connections we make locally and out on the road to sustain our businesses.

 Please stop by to say hello if you’re attending this event - we'd love to meet you!  And you never know what new things we can add to your fiber addiction!

Another Trip Around The Sun

This is our barn kitty, Mr. Fluff.  He has been with us for 6+ years, and has taken the leap this past fall to venture into the house for 5 minutes at a time.  This is big stuff, considering his first visit indoors a few years ago ended with him trying to climb up the curtains and escape out the (closed) window.  As the winter goes on, I'm sure the visits will lengthen, and he may even come to appreciate the overwhelming heat warmth of the woodstove. 


I never thought I was a cat person, but I am.  Some would consider cats aloof, but I prefer to think of their attitude as the pinacle of independence - everything on their terms.  My goal for 2012 is to move out of my own comfort zone, in my own quiet way - to dare to do things and not overthink the results.  I'm taking inspiration from one of my favorite poems, "Fog" by Carl Sandburg:

THE fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

May your New Year be filled with peace, happiness and health!



Randomly, on Friday

Wednesday night into Thursday morning, we had 2 inches of snow.  This was enough to topple transmission lines, and we were without power for 17 hours.  Not so bad, we have a fabulous woodstove that keeps the house warm.  The downside, once the sun goes down (4:30), it's dark.  Candles are very helpful, but not helpful enough if you want to knit or read.  Hoping to crank along on Christmas knitting while watching Gosford Park this evening.  I think I may be able to squeeze in another project (or two) before the gift-giving begins.  Delusional? probably.  Will I try anyway - YES!  I give New Year's gifts as well.

Thankful

I continue to be amazed how the time between Halloween and the New Year seems to go by at warp speed.  A week ago, I had the good fortune to attend Knitter's Review Retreat (again!).  I am grateful to have had this weekend away - it's the right mix of leisure and learning, with good food and fabulous conversation.  A special thanks to my mom who was able to entertain Alex, Alison and Pepper (the dog) while I travelled westward.  Bob had last minute travel plans, so this was extremely helpful.

Thanksgiving was low key - just the four of us at home, picking through the afternoon on the way to dinner.  Is it a terrible thing that my favorite part of the day was the brie en croute (which I seem to have consumed the lion's share of?)  I spent the balance of my time working on an addictive pattern (Prana) from Clara Parkes' new book - The Knitter's Book of Socks.  If you know a sock knitter (or any knitter, for that matter) and are looking for a holiday gift - this is the ticket.  I love this book (and I'm not just saying that because I have a signed copy...)

This evening we enjoyed the remains of Thanksgiving in the form of turkey soup (I think Bob is sighing with relief).  And now begins the journey towards Solstice and the holidays.  I love the Winter Solstice for it's promise of brighter days.  And once I click a couple of buttons to order some special gifts, I can settle into my knitting projects, destined to warm a person or two this Christmas. 

And lastly, I'm thankful for what's been a very mild November, and sights like these that close out the late afternoon.

Walk of the Zombies

The past 2 weeks have been a blur.  There were so many things to organize for Bob's trip to China, Alison was in the last week of rehearsal for the drama production (which went off beautifully this past weekend), the new website is up, yarns are being dyed...  Now I'm getting ready for the Knitter's Review Retreat.  I've looked forward to this event for months - it is an oasis of fun and a place to unravel (seriously, there's a lot of frogging, untangling and skein winding going on).  I have lists and more lists so that I don't miss anything this week. 

This morning's adventure involved Alex giving an oscar winning performance of "not feeling well".  I was going to suggest he try out for the drama club next year, but thought better of it.  In a move that should net me the "parent of the year award", I handed him a Tums, a glass of water and shooed him out the door.  It's not that I lack sympathy - I really know about not feeling well, but it wasn't in my plan to have him home today.  His "unwellness" did not stop him jogging down the driveway.

I expect the school nurse will be ringing in any moment.

Night Out

Last evening I cooked a pot of stew for my family, then headed out the door to a dinner/knitting get- together hosted by a friend.  The food was spectacular and the conversation involved a lot of laughing.  Knitting didn't necessarily take a back seat, but projects sat waiting for more stitches to be put on as their creators became more engrossed in the stories being told. 

When there are so many things that keep us busy - work, children, the never ending list of chores, it's great to spend an evening out with friends.  As the holiday season approaches and things get even busier, I hope you make time to connect with friends and enjoy their company.  It's good for the soul.  (Thanks Diane!)