AUTUMN THOUGHTS

Ah Friday how I welcome you each week, how I needed you this week.

It has been a week of little sleep since returning from Wisconsin, not sure of the why-too much on my mind, higher altitude or just me! But today, Friday, I thought I would sleep in till 6ish-this was not to be, at 0430 I am up starting laundry. So many things in my head to accomplish today knowing I may only get through a fourth of my list (if I’m lucky). Going into work this morning for a couple of hours to catch up puts a kink in the day too.

On the Friday list:

Laundry

3 hours work

Lunch with a friend

Repotting houseplants

Little housework

Sewing

The sewing is what I am most interested in! Finishing a dress for my daughter, only the sleeves are left, then…

Playing with some amazing fabric I picked up in Wisconsin! I have been dreaming of all my options using these fabrics, (perhaps this is the reason for my lack of sleep). 

Though the number one activity I want to spend time doing today is enjoying the amazing autumn we are experiencing here in Northern Colorado. Soon the blazing colors will be gone with the sounds and smells of fall, now is the time to be in the present moment of Falls Beauty. As I get older my wants are changing, no longer do I enjoy bringing things into my house but rather the enjoying what I have. The day-to-day gifts that are given to me-such as the fall colors!

SISTERS’ WEEKEND-WISCONSIN

Sisters’ Weekend was spent in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Iowa County. This one building town has a wee i complex with it’s name, but she makes up for her insecurity in her beauty. WOW, did we have a great time exploring several small towns, driving the really hilly countryside. All the trees, where did they come from? And the farms, so beautiful with their big red barns! We walked the roads, then climbed the hills, on the weekend we had to stay on MM's 1/4 mile drive with it’s steep hill due to hunting and all the gun fire. Ate the best hamburger in a corner bar. Do not ask it to be cooked any special way or you are showed the sign, “this is not Burger King! Your burger gets cooked how it gets cooked, no complaints or there is the door”. I guess you can say this to your customers when your burger was that good and smothered in Wisconsin cheese!

Visited 2 yarn stores where I like to buy yarn that is local. I am getting a bit of a collection of local yarn this year. The best was the Quilt Store that MM saved for last that first day, ( I went back for a second time 2 days later). Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisc. was amazing. Truly, I have not been in a quilt store that  has amazed me in over ten years! Country Sampler is all reproduction fabrics and cross stitch samplers. The store is filled with amazing antiques and finished quilts! The thing that sent me over the top was fabric I had never seen before from companies I have never heard of. I bought yardage, a lot, like I had trouble getting everything in the suitcase. I was ready to leave my clothes in Wisconsin and travel home with fabric, yarn and  beeswax candles.

The candles were purchased at the farm where MM boards her Alpaca. That little guy is Larry, he is going to have a lot of work with the ladies when he gets older ;-)
I will have to have another post for this this trip.
It was so much fun and so much more to tell.

Yarn Along

WELCOME OCTOBER

October, a month I love because all of FALL beauty peaks! The leaves are falling and soon I can walk through their crunching goodness under foot. The garden is winding down, I’m shocked I still have produce out there on vines! Colorado generally would of had a freeze at night by now. This past summer growing season certainly was different. 

Today has been thick low hanging clouds all day keeping temps in the 50’s and I love it. 

1500 yards of worsted weight yarn has been dyed. It turned out rather bright yellow ;-/

Not what I was hoping for but I will find a use for this “sunshine” color.
Working on several knitting projects, ( I am not a monogamous knitter). I like to have at least 3 projects
going, one has to be fairly mindless to travel to work and waiting in lines sort of thing.
The sweater I am working on
Daelyn Pullover
Interesting pattern. I have to stop knitting in dark browns and black…I can’t see the stitches unless it is noon time. Aging, oh dear;-\
Yesterday I went for a 3 mile hike and I am happy to report I am complaining about being COLD again.    And yes, people notice when I say "I’m cold”. I haven’t used this discription for the past 10-12 years-It feels good to wrap up in knitted scarfs and sweaters with wool socks on.
I really need to walk daily, walking for me is equavalant to meditating. It clears my head, tires me out so I will have the hope/ prospect of  6-7 straight hours of good sleep and of course just good for my aging body.
I bought some amazing naturally dyed yarn from Ginny last week. It arrived Monday and I LOVE IT.
More on that next week.
I’m late again and need to get down the road.

It’s Wednesday which means Yarn Along

OLD and NEW

It has been a very satisfying day. I continue to tidy up i.e.: get rid of stuff,  picking one closet,  a room, a theme at a time and dive down deep into the “ OMG I can’t believe I have saved this” to “ I have way too much stuff”!

Today 130 books were boxed, 120 VHS’s were boxed and moved out of the house. I realize I am still on the peak of the clutter iceberg but one has to start somewhere and the best place for me is where I am at today!

I also mordant 750 gms of yarn that will be dyed next week. I find it soothing  to wash, mordant and dye yarn. This is surprising to me since their is so many steps to naturally dying yarn. Perhaps it is soothing because I understand I can not skip steps and it is a long process!

Fall is in the air, I hear it when the wind breezes through the trees. That rustling of drying leaves…be still my heart. Hard to believe it is the end of September and more days than I care to mention are still close to 90 degrees.

The kitchen scale that I picked up years ago in a flea market is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. It measure in grams and I use it all the time. Measuring out mordant (alum) from NUTs.com to measuring ingredients for soap making. I have another “modern” digital scale with measurements in ounces for baking, but it has no character like my  old whitey does!

Have a great weekend!

YARN ALONG

Can’t think of anything worthy of words….

Just pictures today.

linking up with 

Yarn Along

CLUTTER AND KNITS

Today I didn’t watch the clock and it seamed as if I had more time in the day. Started to purge my closet this morning. Three big boxes filled-packed and off to Goodwill! I’m tired of taking care of all my stuff, I can’t seam to concentrate and complete projects, but worse of all, I feel less creative. This is going to be a slow process, nothing that will be completed in a week or two. Though if I keep at it, a little every day, even if it is only one thing….oh my, how that could free up my house and mind. 

Of course I need to keep things from coming into the house as well. 

I love a challenge!

My fiber and material stash will be approached after much more needed practiced and courage!

Fall is here, this morning the wind came out of the north! How exciting! I’m a cool/cold weather person. Surprise,surprise, I’m a knitter! Can’t wear wool in the summer, at least I can’t. 

The adult hat is alpaca from Salida,Colorado. It was a fun easy quick knit, but the yarn had a bit of vegetation and I was doing a lot of picking.

The baby hat was a unique knit, a European pattern. I had to read and re-read the instructions and then the light went on….easy peasy!

My week-end will be spent in the garden, and going through at least  3 cabinets to purge and organize. If I am really full of energy I may hit another closet.

MORE KNITTING-MORE YELLOWSTONE

While in Yellowstone I spent most of my time sitting out knitting. I completed several projects and when we pulled out of the park-I was well satisfied with all that I accomplished.

Mittens were a FAST knit using bulky yarn ! Yarn is from My Sister Knits as is the pattern.

(I forgot to save the label for the yarn….oops).

On the way out of Yellowstone we were stopped several times due to Bison being on the road. I was driving and Eric was taking pictures. 

On the reading agenda:

Dry Bones

Earth Bound Cook Book

Harvesting Color

I dyed some yarn I bought in Montana and love it!!!!

Now I am the lady jumping out of my car on the side of the road with scissors in hand to cut anything with color! I love learning new things and looking at things ( like the weeds on the road side) differently. This kind of brain stretching feels so good!

Linking up with Ginny and Yarn Along.

Happy Wednesday.