Some more orange stuff and something Green

Here's the stocking I've been working on... all in stockinette, so it's going really fast, but I'm wanting to make them as long as possible... maybe knee highs, maybe thigh highs, I'd have to get a good garter belt, because they probably wouldn't stay up.

They're kind of funky and fun and cool to knit... they'll be interesting to wear!

This yarn is a souvenir from our trip to Williamsburg. It is the essence of locally produced yarn. The label reads:

Hand Spun Yarn

Made in the Weave Room of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

from

Colonial Williamsburg Leicester Long Wool Sheep

Hand Dyed with Madder Root

Grown in the Wythe House Garden

It's kind of coarse, and maybe a heavy fingering weight... I was thinking a table scarf or something. Something square and lacy and special, as befits a lovely completely handcrafted yarn in a vibrant, beautiful color.

I'd like to add that it was dyed by this nice lady who also taught me how to spin with a drop spindle on my 33rd, I mean 27th, birthday. I had a really good time and I suspect that a spinning wheel will be inhabiting a corner of my home in the near future.

Fun, huh?! Also, here are some snow peas from the garden, that I'm about to put into some chicken stir fry. Yummy!

Sweet June

Wow! Did you notice I have nine followers!? Yee Haw! Hi, ya'll!

Virginia in June is just a Paradise. Night before last, we drove home from ballet class with the windows open to take in the gorgeous scent of the season. The honeysuckle is growing on fencelines all the way home, plus there are catauba trees, which have these huge fragrant orchid-like flowers. It was one of those fragrant, pre-thunderstorm evenings, heavy with scent and balmy. When the thunderstorm came, it was all out pre-thunderstorm preparations, because chances are the power will go out...

These entail the following:

Get out candles and matches
Make sure all the flashlights have batteries that work
Clean up pathways to the bathrooms
Unplug all the electronics
Go to bed early and snuggle the baby. It's fun!

It's been such a moist, beautiful spring, and it's just about time for tiger lily season, which I am soooo stoked for. It's got to be my favorite flower. My great grandparents used to have this big farm in Upstate New York (Chamberlain's Mill) and they had a giant lily bed that made a big impression on my developing taste, I think, right along the road opposite Mr. Chamberlain's house... he was really old when I used to visit him, but he told me this funny story about the apple orchard and geese... I'll tell ya another time!

The peas are producing prodigiously (snow and sugar snap), the cabbages are actually forming heads, which is a first for me, and the tomatos are fruiting already. The potatoes are blooming, the hydrangea has three beautiful blue balls on it, and the roses have buds forming... and I've probably got 30 volunteer chamomile plants that are starting to flower. Yay!

I finished the ballet bodices except for the hook and eye tape, I'll be sewing at rehearsals for Sleeping Beauty on Saturday and then I'm off... purple satin makes me want to commit sepuku after the 13 costumes I've made for two ballets. I've decreed that if the girls choose purple for their weddings, I'll not do the sewing! I've said my peace and counted to three!

No pics today, sorry... more later on fiber...

A Bit to Mourn

I am Reading: A Book on Calculus... weird, huh!? Romans, Make, Grow, Gather

I am Thinking: About my girls that I lost. We're down to three hens now, and four in the brooder with the broilers. They were such good little hens, such good layers, such funny little barnyard companions. I'm mourning the chickens. I miss their eggs, too.

A lot.

I asked my landlord if he'd sell me some hens, but he said that I'd have to take a rooster, too. I just put professor in the freezer a few weeks ago, and I'm not ready to love/hate another Roo, yet. So, what to do? I suppose I'll just have to wait to see what happens.

I am Working on a couple pairs of socks, the ironing basket, the laundry, and the new schedule for summer.

I am Wearing denim capris, a white cotton cable sweater and my Green stripey Wellies... and wild frizzy hair pulled into a pony tail.

I am Teaching myself new routines for the day, the children to obey, and cheerfulness in adversity.

I am Cooking some roast chicken, with mashed potatos and corn for dinner... maybe some fresh bread, too.

I am Planning some housecleaning, some organizing, some gardening.

Outside my window, but not today:

It was beautiful around here in April... See that house at the end of the road? It's for rent, so perhaps we'll get to meet a new neighbor, soon. The forsythia makes me so happy in spring. It just slays me next to that black board fence. So gorgeous. Isn't the light beautiful?!

Maryland Sheep and Wool

OK, so I'm checking in... the farm is getting soaked right now... it's chilly and wet, but I've got some tomatoes in thanks to the Studly Man in my life.

I can't believe it happened, but I forgot to bring my camera to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this past Saturday! ACK! I know!

It was amazing, there was yarn and fiber everywhere, spinning wheels, looms, vintage sock machines, demonstrations, sheep and goats, WONDERFUL!

I did buy yarn, of course! Actually I waited in line for like 45 minutes for some Socks that Rock at The Fold booth. I met some really nice ladies who shared their giant umbrella with me and chatted about yarn (Thanks, Melissa and Mary!).

I bought some locally spun and naturally hand dyed wool worsted yarn... and some locally spun flax, cotton, and rayon fingering weight yarn ($6.50 a pound!).

I went with my friend Lyn from Hunt Country Yarns in The Plains and had fun "checking in" with their booth. I talked to the Ravelry Crew and saw Ysolda Teague (I just admired her while pretending to look at wool behind her) and I had a nice little chat with Claudia of Claudia Hand Painted Yarns (Check out the Linen yarn Desert Dusk colorway... I'll be buying some at Knitting Sisters in Williamsburg when we go at the end of this month). I was like oh, 40 feet away from her and saw this woman sitting on a bench next to one of the barns in this WONDERFUL tiered ruffled skirt knitted in gorgeous hand dyed yarns in these beautiful warm colors. I had to know where to get that pattern and what those yarns were, so, of course, because I'm me, I walked over and politely butted into a conversation and asked her.

Me: "Excuse me for interrupting, but I saw that skirt from waaaay over there and I think it is absolutely gorgeous. Where did you get that pattern? And those yarns, oh my, look at those beautiful warm colors!"

Claudia: "Well, this is a Louet Sales pattern, but actually, I'm Claudia of Claudia Hand Painted Yarns and these are my yarns."

Me: "Wow, these are gorgeous! You're like a walking advertisement! Who sells these?"

Claudia: "I don't think anyone here is selling them...."

I got her card, because it was a work of art. I want one for me. Bad. I can't believe I forgot my camera!

Busy, Busy Bee

Whoo! How busy I've been! I don't want to recount all the rigmarole we've been through this past week, but I thought I'd post a to do list for today:

1. Wash sheets and dry them on the line. The weather is begging for this and the sheets need a good washing desperately.

2. Wash woodwork. I've been taking down the plastic film we covered the windows with and opening windows to let in the beautiful weather.

3. Get out and sort summer togs and put away winter gear. Of course this is a multiple day job with all the people in our house, but I could get started.

4. Reboot house for dinner guests.

5. Gather night crawlers for fishing tomorrow.

6. Pack sandwiches and goodies for fishing trip

7. Have some old friends over for a fajita dinner, a bonfire, s'mores, and some card playing, hopefully!


Numbers 2 and 3 may have to be put off if we do indeed have guests, but it should be a fun, productive day!

What a Day!

Wow! It's been a doozy today, and I've been really wanting to tell about it! It started with a lazy, daisy sleeping in kind of morning... lots of sunshine, kids quietly snoozing, except for the Prairie Princess who decided to take a morning bike ride and feed the chicks early. Daddy made breakfast while the Princess and I got ready for a tea party in Culpeper with Mimi Cheri and M. We dressed up for the occasion. I even wore my fancy, schmancy earrings! We had a great time at Tea, Lace, and Roses. They have a dress up room with hats, gloves, costume jewelry, etc. Even I, surprisingly, put on a cute black hat and enjoyed myself thoroughly! I bought some fun little goodies at the antique store, and then we went to this cute art, fabric, yarn shop called 145 Art and Design Studio Their yarn selection was minimal, but beautiful, and they had Bernina sewing machines, Moda and Amy Butler fabrics (plus lots more), and some cool art supplies. I bought little watercolor postcard tablets for the children to create on and then send to grandparents and aunts and these little miniature watercolor sets that one can hang on a key chain for creating on the go... big hit... Then I hit a very, very cute shop called lula blu. OH MY GOSH! Lots of handmade girl's and baby's stuff, which I LOVE, of course, but also a clothing line called Neesh, which I wanted to have all of. It was uber-feminine, without being fancy, only with these beautiful little details that make you want to squeal a bit... I bought two skirts at 75% off (that made me squeal a bit, and the Prairie Princess, too). I will definitely have to post some pictures of the loot I picked up later.

Then after only a couple more stops and Prairie Princess' first ICEE (Cherry), we came home. We'd picked up stuff for everyone except Dad, so we were going to wash his car for him. I pulled out the trusty aqua blue wash bucket, filled it with eco friendly detergent and water, threw in a couple of rags, and then.... Piper caught my attention.

She was mewing kind of pitifully, and looking at me for help, obviously. I know I hadn't mentioned it before, but Piper (remember, the one who got rid of all of Hamelin's rats?!) has been a bit of a hussy(or so my Mom would say)... she came home knocked up... which is the natural thing for a young, beautiful, healthy cat to do when she's a year old, especially when her deadbeat family didn't get her spayed(that's me)... Anyway, she's been sort of waddling around the house lately. Actually, she was enormous... her belly was so ponderous she had to turn out her legs to walk. And yes, folks, after all the fun of this day, the beautiful weather, wonderful company, and fun shopping with my daughter, my cat had, as of right now...

I'm pausing to check...

SEVEN kittens!

SEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She had four before dinner, and I thought she was done, so Dad went out to start a bonfire, and I joined them, checking on Piper occasionally. We had s'mores with dark chocolate... mmmmmmm! Then I go check on the cat, five kittens. I put the baby to bed, and kiss the girls goodnight. My husband informs me there are six kittens. I sit down to start to blog about today, and HOLY HAMSTERS, she has SEVEN! She definitely seems overwhelmed, though she did her duty to wash them all and eat all the flotsam and jetsam (BLECH!) she only did it sort of halfheartedly for the last two. She's just napping now, belly up, while seven squirming kittens try to grab a nipple. She's got eight, who'd have thunk there'd be a shortage! I'm a little nervous about her ability to take care of that many kittens, though she was the kitten of a very capable Queen Mother. Her early cat education must be the reason she's such a good cat. I mean, Piper got rid of a nest of baby mice under the radiator in our dining room when she was only seven weeks old. She's awesome to behold.

New Chicks!

These arrived just in time to make us all remember that Resurrection Day means New Life! Aren't they just adorable... it makes you forget that a previous incarnation of downy chick just tried to attack you in your own back yard... we have a beautiful, and I mean really, really handsome but also really, really mean rooster. That rooster will soon be hitting the chicken pot, I think. Which is OK, it'll make room for some lovely new laying hens in the coop! I just had five delivered this morning, how convenient! The hens are the yellow and black chicks, the all yellow ones are Cornish Roasters, which are supposed to be less mutant like than the Cornish x Rocks which are scary and horrible and ugly and I hate them. We'll see. We also got our one surprise rare chick, which I hope will be a nice, pleasant, wonderful, caring rooster, that takes after my husband instead of being like some other awful Cock I know. I won't mention his name but it starts with Professor. Whoops.

I hate to make the chickens mateless again, and fertilized eggs are waaaay healthier than unfertilized eggs, but I've got the bitty one year old wanting to play in the yard now and I can't leave his side because of that nasty rooster, not to mention the other darling children that are in peril from "His Handsome-ness". And you know, there are other wonderful, good looking children I want to keep away from him, too.

I remember a picture of my Aunt Georgeanne as a toddler, with multiple places all over her sweet little face with stitches on them from a rooster attacking her, and it's haunted me ever since we let this one roam free. I suppose after all this ranting and raving about Professor, I should show him to you. I did take a picture of him today, but it was very dreary out and he's got these gorgeous iridescent feathers around his neck and in his tail that really take the breath away and you won't be able to see those, but, just to illustrate: