A View from Sierra County

Lucky Number Six

I have been trying to faithfully support my dear friend Margene as she makes the epic journey through daily posting until the end of 2008, and how does she thank me?  She has tagged me for a photo meme!

The directions are:

*Go to your sixth picture folder and pick your sixth picture.
*Pray you remember the details.
*Tag five others.

Lucky for me, I am at work, relying on what is on my memory stick, and therefore you are getting one of nicer ones and recent enough that I remember what's going on here... some regulary readers will too.  I am the woman walking (and wearing my Vintage Capelet) a string of burros in a march on the California State Capitol last spring to urge the governator not to cut funding to the state historic parks.

Now, I will apologise to those tagged, as the buck usually stops here, but I do want to see what you come up with, so I am tagging Stephanie, Sharon, Amy, Carrie, and Anne.

In*VEST*ed In Success

Last Friday, I was bemoaning the fate of my Haori vest, but thankfully, Amy got me back on track.  Over the weekend, I finished the front panels that were giving me so much grief, then picked up and knit the side panels... sideways.  I got to practice my mattress stitching while joining the bound off ends of the side panels to the front panels, and started on the armhole trim, which uses Crystal  Palace Cotton Chenille.  There will be another armhole completed tonight, then a wide, Japanese-style neck and front band, also from the chenille.

I was rather smug about using locking stitch markers to close up pocket openings to be finished off later.  I plan to sew up a lining out of some beautiful, vintage silk my dear friend Ed gave me, found in his travels in northern India...

These photos aren't fully showing how compatible my lining fabric, which is presently a tube that needs to be deconstructed (probably once a skirt), really is with my vest.  You see, the vest looks far more orangey-red, while the photo of the fabric doesn't quite convey that those fuchia-looking design lines with the pink-cream background are actually the same garnet-maroon color as the yarn.

I am especially sensitive to these nuances of color and light today, after our tie-dye fiber guild meeting last night, where we all benefitted from Sara's magical dye book (based on decades of practical experience) and Jan's practiced hand at tie-dye folds to come up with new Foothill Fiber Guild shirts.... yes, I know I should have taken pictures, but we were all so nervous about getting any dye or water on the library meeting room floor, that neither Stephanie nor I dared multi-task.  If the shirt turns out as I planned, I promise a photo later.

The photo at least conveys how this eastern-looking fabric will complement my Japanese-style vest in a way that maybe only Pacific Rim Californians would embrace.  I also stopped by my local thrift shop yesterday on the way to a dr. appointment, and picked up a fleece jacket to repurpose into pockets... and have fabric left over for something else.

This photo offers better hope for my color-matching skills.

As I have been working diligently on this vest all week, I have been pondering the dangerous NaKniSweaMoDo proposal a few friends are floating about the Internet (you know who you are!)... I realized that I actually like to dawdle over some of these fussy little details that will set my version of a pattern apart from the thundering herds (atually, I think I am the only person on Ravelry making this vest), and might not get through 12 sweaters in a year, even if they were all sleeveless/vests.  I would also have to postpone at least two of the three big lace projects waiting in the wings, and somehow make two or three super-chunky ones to make up for the time it will take to get through my Bohus Green Apple cardi kit, which I hope to start after the holidays.  Ahh, decisions, decisions.

I will wait to ponder the whole thing further after my pumpkin pies are made, turkey roasted and eaten.  I will be holding all of you who have become so dear close to my heart this holiday weekend, and I am grateful to have the kind of life that has allowed me to form such rich friendships.  Think of me on Black Friday, as I (hopefully) am so, so busy helping other knitters purchase gift-making supplies.

LYS Effort for Save the Children

In the spirit of Thanksgiving week, I wanted to share the latest knitting-from-the-heart that Fibers, the LYS where I work, has been promoting in our community, with my knitting community-at-large, and let you know how you can make a difference in the live of a preemie baby, while using up those last little bits of your favorite yarns.

We have been involved in helping our customers make hats for Save The Childrens Caps to the Capital campaign.  This program was started to collect and deliver caps to premature babies, at risk from losing body heat so easily; the caps can make all the difference in improved survival rates.

Here's a basket full of examples... people have been making knitted and crocheted hats from simple to complex, and we even hosted a Saturday afternoon of knitting with our leftovers and donated yarns a few weeks ago to help those who wanted to join in, but needed a gentle shove to get started.

 

Allison and I also made a nice window display to attract attention to this project, which will probably give way to holiday decorations this week, as the first Friday night of Cornish Christmas, an annual street fair in December, will be held the day after Thanksgiving.

Allison is doing the decorating, and I am behind the camera... the larger sheepie is a rocking sheep; after a few years of searching, Allison found a person who hand crafts these adorable riding toys for children aged 9 months to 3 years, and he even thought to add a height extension to extend the usefulness of what promises to be a child's favorite toy.

We came up with a few handouts of knitted and crocheted patterns, but since they are not on our website yet, I am giving you this link to Coats and Clark for a pattern.

I did finish Coronet, and straightened out my problems with the Haori Vest, thanks to Amy.  I am now working on the finishing details, and will have photos later in the week... I have successfully sewn, made openings for pockets, and even decided to line it with some lovely silk fabric that I received as a gift earlier this year. I need to knit on the neckband and armhole trim, and do all that sewing, in amongst helping two adult children with moving, cooking everyone a traditional turkey dinner and working this week!  Hope to see you again soon... whew, sounds like a lot, even for me.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Last night, our Camptonville Knit Night grrls met at my house and as I was setting up a comfy parlor arrangement for my guests, I was also debating about what I would choose to work on while we talked and laughed.  I have two hats on the needles, Porom and Coronet, and both are poised and waiting for me to begin the crown decreasing.  While this meant I could realistically finish them both in one evening, were I knitting alone, I have to confess that I am easily distracted when knitting with this group and usually stick to something very mindless... no counting to lose track of.  February Lady has been languishing a bit, as I haven't made up my mind how long she should be in body length, and that wasn't a good match, so I picked up my Haori vest.  Simple stockinette, two front panels already halfway done after finishing the back and dividing... what could be better! Right?  Wrong!!

I am using Cascade Eco for this project, a lovely squishy heavy worsted that comes in a big, huge, high-value skein.  One skein is supposed to provide me with adequate yardage for this whole vest, though I intend to use cotton chenille for the Japanese-style collar band.  I had decided back when I divided for the front opening that I would work both fronts at the same time (how expedient!), using both ends of the center-pull ball.... hmmm.  Isn't it funny how something will sound like such a good idea at the time?

Here's my center-pull ball now, after something like 14 inches of tangling the two ends together.  In fact, I have to admit that when I started knitting last night, I had to break both ends off from the knitted piece, untangle them and retie... I had last been working on this at a class earlier in the week, and hadn't been careful enough to prevent tangling from occurring.  You can see what lovely yarn this wool is.... it will felt in a most excellent manner, though that isn't my plan as yet.

While I was knitting and listening to tales from Barbara Sue (whose hubby is an airplane inspector and takes them all over the west in a small plane for recreation... his at least, though she sounds like it is not very relaxing to be up 9000 feet in a small plane), from Stephanie (an especially funny story about a bottle of wine she got when we spun at the Farm Store a few weeks ago) and Angela, our newest member, I kept taking the work off the needles every so often to unwind the yarn that inevitably wound around it while going back and forth on the rows.

Near the end of the evening, Barbara Sue looked up from her gift handtowel and said "What ARE you doing?!"  I realized just how idiotic this whole process had become, but by this point, I am now two-thirds the way down the front.... hence the question that started this post.  I awoke a while before dawn this morning, pondering another, much more weighty and emotionally-charged conflict involving a work mate, and somewhere in my convoluted thought process thought about how it might be easier to just frog it than fight with it. 

I think the message there might really apply more to the personalities I was thinking about, since I am  only a bystander to that conflict.  But, once the thought passed through my mind, I had to turn it over and look at it from all sides while out walking the dogs in early morning light.  The best time to start fresh on a gnarly knitting problem.  I came home with a counter idea to weigh back and forth over the course of the day today.... perhaps if I just sat down and concentrated for an hour, I could knock out the rest of the front and be back to the smooth sailing of knitting up each side panel separately.

After all, there is a lot of very good knitting here, along with the bad.... what would you do?

I started in describing my problem, and halfway through this post noticed that the new Typepad platform really was a bit different than the old one... this is my first post since the switchover, so I am hoping it comes out as I expect.  Those of you using Typepad, let me know what you think, if you are happier or not.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Donkey Day Spa

Yesterday was hoof-trimming day here at Slate Range Camp, and three of the four got 'pedicures'.  I was trying to explain what this is like to some non-equine friends shortly before my farriers, Erika and Keith, arrived.   When I said it was their version of a trip to the day spa, it occurred to me that for the donkeys, the reward is grazing on fresh green grass after the trimming.

Erika has been training with a great barefoot trimmer, Phil Marrone, and she and hubby Keith use the grinder to speed up the process.  We have been working with the animals to decondition them to the sound and feel, and both Abraham and Assteroid managed to stand, well-behaved and happy to get treats, while they each got 15-minute nail touchups.

I discovered that they both love pancakes... there was a stack leftover from Sunday morning breakfast and they thought chunks of pancakes were excellent reward for standing patiently.

Here, Assteroid wants to tell you what his favorite treats are....

We took care of the easy donkeys first, and then had to work with Rose, who has fear of foot treatments... it took a lot of coaxing but finally Keith was able to use the rasp and file down her front toes, which have grown way too much.  My past farrier especially didn't like working with Rose, who didn't like him, and he stopped calling us or returning my calls.  After much fussing and coaxing, then abandoning the grinder for the rasp, we all laughed to see her turn her head and watch him filing on her foot!  Here's a 'before' photo of how long in the toes she had gotten.

And here's an 'after' shot of happy grazing...

Glorious Fall

We have been blest with a brief respite from what appeared to be the early onset of winter, and the temperatures were in the mid 70s the past two afternoons!  Since there has already been a few significant cold snaps, we are surrounded by the rich colors of fall, particularly golden maples, red dogwoods and brilliant yellow willows.  This is one of the best parts of living in the Sierras... fall colors up and down the hill for several months.  Wishing you an equally lovely weekend!

WIP Thursday

It's been hats, hats and more hats around here, meaning no other WIPs have seen much attention for the past week and a half.  I decided to make up some hats to sell at the Farm Store, and finished two Cozy Cabled Toques (I think I have made at least ten of this pattern now!) which I left off without photographing, and another plain rolled brim hat, shown in the picture below.  On the needles is the second version of Coronet, a pattern that appeared in Knitty several years ago (the first version ended up ripped back to the cabled band because I read the instructions, decided they must be wrong and proceeded wilfully along to almost completion before I saw the error of my ways... still happens sometimes).  Coronet is being worked up in some Lambs Pride worsted that I dyed with cranberries back last winter, and the multicolor yarn was in my stash, long-ago separated from its identifying tag.

Unfortunately, the early morning light is pretty poor this time of the year, but at least the stitch definition is nice!

I like the feel of the mystery yarn better than the cranberry, but then both of these hats will be for other wearers, so in the long run it doesn't matter all that much.

Coronet is an interesting double (and warm) headband that leads into a stockinette hat... I will post a finished photo soon.

All of this hat frenzy led me to making one for myself, especially after I stumbled upon this blog.  I fell in love with the possibility of a lacy beret, and pored over all of the Ravelry entries for Porom before deciding to make mine in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light... in pumpkin (it is actually lighter than it appears in the photo)!  I know, this is not a color you have seen me use much, but it is actually rather flattering with my hair grown out the multi-colored hues it has become, and wears well with all of my favorite brown wardrobe items.

Jared Flood's pattern is fun to knit and the yarn is a delight to feel sailing through my fingers.  I predict that my other lingering WIPs won't have to wait too long for some attention, as both of these hats are making up quickly.

Then, it will be back to business as usual as I work on adding to the Circle Vest from last week's spinning efforts and towards finishing up February Lady.  There are a few too many WIPs lingering around Slate Range Camp, and I better starting taking them in hand!

Last minute addendum...

you have got to go and check out this contest and all the cool videos that have been entered!

You can also have a chance to enter to win one of these three fabulous quilts... a great start to a late fall weekend!

A Farm Store Spin-In

I mentioned on Friday that my fiber guild was sending a delegation to the outpost known as the Oregon House Farm Store, and wanted to share photos of the fun we had with you.  Turns out it was probably the biggest day at the farm store this season!

This is the former barn that houses the farm store, and inside you would find local foods and crafts, produce in season, the best butter crafted only a quarter mile away, and a freezer full of High Sierra Beef.  Jenny had to make a trip to the other freezer, up at her house, to replenish her offerings, as customers from the surrounding region and spinners alike put in their requests for roasts and summer sausage.  Turns out a few of my fellow guild members are closet summer sausage lovers, though I'm not telling which ones... here's a view of part of our fashionably attired crew.  From left to right are Sara, dressed in double layers of colorful knits from her own handspun and handdyed yarns (showoff!), BJ, wearing a handwoven top, Sue F., with her prize-winning shawl, spun from her own sheepie, draped over her shoulders, Stephanie, wearing a triangle loom shawl she wove last year, and Sue V.

The day started out overcast, after a rainy Saturday and night, and we all came prepared in our wooliest attire.  However, by late morning it was warmer outside than in, and we mostly migrated out to spin in the lovely autumn afternoon sun.  Soon, we will be forced inside for months, so Jenny's pastures rang with the sounds of our laughter and the honking of migratory Canada geese, joining her own herd of honkers briefly.  Her farm also features guinea hens, chickens, rabbits, two pigs, and probably other livestock we weren't aware of....

A closer-up view of Sue F.'s shawl... and her spinning.  Mitts were in order early in the day.

Sue V. had just finished this colorful version of the Leaf Lace shawl.... unblocked but still fabulous.

Allison brought along the knitter's loom, and people loved trying out weaving, watching us spin, and tasting the lovely wines from  Ramey Schulten Winery.

There were two extra tables of fibery goodness.... this one features Stephanie's hand-dyed rovings (which can be purchased through her blog), and handknit baby items made from her handspuns, with natural-colored rovings from Sue F.'s sheep.

The other display featured BJ's products, including weaving and lavender.... I bought a cute little handwoven tool pouch to hang from my wheel.  BJ also brought a rigid heddle loom and will be teaching a class soon at another LYS locally.

I left two cabled hats I knit last week behind on consignment with Jenny, but expect that the downward spiraling economy is responsible for the sluggish sales in non-food items.  I am not trying to knit a lot to sell this year as a result, but am sending a few items along with Stephanie to an artisan fair she will be attending the first Saturday in December.  I finished another hat last night, and spun up more yarn, so a WIP Wednesday post is in order this week, even if it doesn't appear until Thursday!  I was surprised to realize that I am only a few weeks away from my four-year blogiversary... I am still here and better start thinking of a way to celebrate!

No Eye Candy Friday

Sorry about that hokey title... but the truth is that there are no new fancy photos because I have been laid up with a cold since Saturday evening.... maybe a bit too much Halloween fun for my immune system, or maybe the rapid changes in the weather, or even the fact that everyone around me seems to have contracted the same symptoms all at once!  Bad sore throat the first few days, then the nose, head, etc.  I am feeling much better today, in part thanks to a great wellness formula one of my co-workers has got us all trying.  Busy at the yarn shop getting my weaving off one of the looms, as I traded shifts with another of our Yarnistas, in order to attend an event tomorrow.

Sunday will have me spinning and demonstrating weaving at the Oregon House Farm Store along with my fellow members of the Foothill Fibers Guild.  The Farm store is located in the beautifully greening-up foothills near me (we got somewhere between 3 and 6 inches of rain last weekend here in Northern California!), and the owner, Jenny Brown has made a point to stock both local foods and the work of local artisans.  Stephanie offers her hand-dyed rovings and hand-spun yarns there, and I keep a few knitted items on hand, so we recruited fellow guild folk to put on a special Fiber Day; if you are in the region, swing by and say hello!  Here's Jenny's directions:

directions  from nevada city:
Take hwy 49 south to Marysville Rd, turn
right. Take Marysville Rd over Bullards Bar Dam and come down the hill
into Dobbins. Follow Marysville Rd west for about two miles. You will
see a sign for Frenchtown Dobbins Rd. Turn right, go about 1/5 th of a
mile, turn right on Indiana School Rd. The Oregon House Farm Store is
the second driveway on the left. You will see a large green barn. The
driveway has a sign that says Oregon House Farms. The address is 14582
Indiana School Rd.

Directions from Marysville,
Loma Rica, etc.- Take Hwy 20 east out of Marysville. You will see a
sign for Marysville Road(Dobbins,BullardsBar), Take a left on
Marysville Road, Loma Rica Rd intersects Marysville Rd right below
Collins Lake, continue up the hill
past Collins Lake. Marysville Road turns to the right by Willow Glen
Saloon. Follow Marysville Rd through Oregon House. You will go about 3
miles past the Oregon House Post Office and see a sign for Frenchtown
Dobbins Road. Turn left, go about 1/5th of a mile, turn right on
Indiana School Road. The Oregon House Farm Store is the second driveway
on the left. You will see a large green barn.

If you are lost, call Jenny's cell: 530-635-0183

Happy weekend all, and even though the economic news is still looking bleaker and bleaker, we can rejoice in the huge amount of civic participation at the election, and I, for one of many, am happy with many of the results.  Deeply saddened by the passage of Prp 8 here in California..... please hold those most injured by this lashing out, especially the newlyweds in our state, in your hearts and prayers.

Let's Start the Week With a Test!

Carrie featured this quiz, and being an art lover, I had to give it a try... I discovered that I was most inclined to choose happy, lush visual images over harsher ones.  I won't give any more clues, but if you decide to take it, come back and tell me if you think I should be insulted to be called 'simplistic yet elegant'!

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...

Simple, Progressive, and Sensual

This is my chance to remind everyone who hasn't voted by mail already to get out and vote... how you vote is between you and your ballot, but that you do it is the cornerstone to making a truly democratic society work!  DH and I already sent in our ballots to our mail-only county clerk last week, so it's too late to try and influence me. In getting this post ready, I also realized I never gave you any final glimpses of my Diamond square sweater, feeling self-conscious as I struggle to lose the weight I gained before I realized I had hypothyroidism.... so before the news is too old, here are a few photos.

This one shows how crisp each diamond looks thanks to periodic insertion of garter ridges... the points are at the waist, and the sweater looks good over a long-sleeved tee or turtleneck.

The second photo is a more accurate capturing of the colors... pale and summery, but they will cheer me in winter as well.  This one features the neckline and cap sleeves.  I can't promise there will be a real photo shoot until spring.  I have been working on an allergy-testing diet so that I can totally avoid foods that I have sensitivities to, have been walking and doing yoga regularly and have decided I need to also start a core strengthening program, however it was an old injury to one of my ankles that chose to act up with the weather changing suddenly on Friday from warm and dry to cold and wet.  Sometimes it feels like one step forward, two steps back, but I did get in some spinning and knitting this weekend - hope you got to have some fiber fun as well.