For the Love of Fiber

Lucky Girl

Yep, that's me! I was one lucky girl today! Some of you may recall me mentioning Sara, one of our Saturday knitters, many times on this blog. I am in awe of her talents. She not only knits but is a potter and beadmaker.

She reminds me of me. I was always into fiber stuff and went along with my mother to a weekly stitching group in my early teens. Even in my rug hooking guild, I was always the youngest member. I did needlepoint, tatting, knitting, rug braiding, rug hooking, twined rugs, cross-stitch, etc. Anything with fiber was fair game. I really enjoyed making things.

Well, back to Sara.  She and her mother, Diana, are both such accomplished knitters. We are so lucky to have them as members of our knitting group. They constantly inspire us with their projects.

No question about it - Sara is a knitting machine. Not just any knitting machine - a LACE knitting machine. She turns out the most beautiful shawls right and left.  

When I arrived at knitting today, Sara handed me a gift bag. I pulled out the tissue paper and unwrapped THIS GORGEOUS SHAWL!

The pattern is Radiance. It is SO pretty! She used Ella Rae Sock Yarn and the colors are perfect for me - kind of olive green - gray with sparks of yellow. LOVE IT!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Sara!!!!! I so appreciate your time and talent!

Actually, there were two lucky girls today at knitting! Joanne was also a recipient of Sara's generosity. Joanne loves Paris, France and is especially fond of the Eiffel Tower. So, nothing would do but for Sara to knit the Eiffel Tower Shawl for Joanne. How absolutely perfect for her! Sara used Dream in Color's Smooshy Baby Alpaca yarn for this project. What a great shade of red. I know Joanne will treasure this.

Joanne had several finished projects today. Baseball season is here so these baseball hats are for her grandsons. This chicken is for her new grandbaby.

Sara and her family are die hard Cincinnati Reds baseball fans.  Both she and her mother knit baseball hats to wear to Opening Day this Thursday. I think they should knit a whole bunch of baseball hats and sell them at the game. I bet they'd sell out in a jiffy! A great way to make yarn money, too!

We had storms last night. It was a beautiful day and then the clouds rolled in. I love to watch the sky. I sat out on the front porch last night and watched the storm approach. It was a light show courtesy of Mother Nature. The picture is a bit fuzzy due to the lighting, etc. I had to have a very fast finger to catch the lightning bolt in the upper left corner. It lit up the navy sky to this beautiful shade of pink-purple cast.

This upcoming week is supposed to be a rainy one. Andy has already had the inaugural mowing this year. It was just the beginning. He leaves tomorrow for a week of work in Virginia. By the time he returns, I'm sure the grass will need a good cut.

Andy has been home for two weeks - the longest spell since November 2011 - and has made great progress in the basement. The bathroom walls and the walls in the under-the-stairs space are all up and patched. The plumbing and building inspectors both came out this week and blessed everything. The building inspector will need to come again when everything is completed. Next, we have to drop the ceiling tiles in place and put the tile floor down. Then, it will be time to position the toilet and cabinet in the bathroom and the cabinets and sink in the kitchen area. I can hardly wait! I think I can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel! Very exciting!

Soaped Out!

Spent the day today at Dorothy Lane Market in Springboro selling soap at their Health Fair. Seemed to be a lot more vendors there this year than last and the attendance was very good. Dorothy Lane Market has quite a loyal following in the Dayton, Ohio area. It's a really nice market and they pride themselves in their support of local farmers and producers of goods. 

I sold a fair amount of soap and stocked their shelves, too. They had run out of several fragrances and were low on all the others.  

These guys were promoting Good Greens Bars. This is a case of if-you-knew-what-was-in-them-you-probably-wouldn't-want-to-eat-them. They contain great stuff from the fruit and veggie categories - spinach, parsley, broccoli sprouts, raspberries, pomegranite, blueberries, beet juice powder, grape seed extract, etc. etc. And, they taste GOOD! Dorothy Lane was selling them for $0.99 each (limit 3) today. I bought one each of the Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Coconut, and Chocolate Peanut Butter.  With 24 g. of Carbohydrates, 5 g. of Fiber, and 12 g. of Protein, they'll make a great substitute for lunch when I'm on the road. I might cut them up into pieces and use them for snacks. We'll see.

The best thing about the Good Greens Bars "booth" was the guys working the table. I loved their T-shirts. I told them that they should sell the shirts. Very clever way to advertise their product!

If you came out to Dorothy Lane today and purchased my soap -- thanks and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. If you didn't come out today - I left some on the shelf for you in the soap section in the natural health aisle. 

Soap!

Tomorrow, I'll be at the Health Fair at Dorothy Lane Market in Springboro, Ohio. I'll be selling my soap in the fragrances they stock.

You'll find me with a table full of Minty Fresh, Love That Lavender, Lemon Drop, Orange & Clove, Scented Geranium, and Plain Jane. I will also have a few bars of Honey & Oats.

Come have a sniff!

Happy Happy Birthday!

Today is my younger son's birthday!  

Last year was a big year for him - he became the father of the little Landen bunny pictured in my March 17th post.

And, this year promises to be another whopper. His restaurant is slated to open this spring in Richmond, VA.

Taylor arrived with his brother in April 1988 from South Korea. A whole new language, a whole new family, and whole new life ahead of him.

As a child, Taylor could be sweet as a lamb or rough and ready for anything.

He's responsible for more than a few of my gray hairs!

And also for much laughter.

Creative and with an imagination that never quit, he was sometimes quite the handful. 

If Taylor was ever sent to his room for punishment, it would sound as if there were thirty people up there with him! He'd be playing - making all kinds of sound effects.

He's doing well! Has found a career that he loves and is absolutely passionate about. Has a wonderful little family that I wish we could see more of. Has settled near his brother which makes me very happy.

How the years have flown!!!!

Taylor, hope today is wonderful and wishing you all the best in the upcoming year!

Love you more!

Omah

(Omah is Korean for mother. Andy and I have always been Omah and Ahbah - shortened to Om and Op over the years. These birthday pictures here are from his first one in the United States. All of these pictures were taken when T-Birdie was 4 and 5 years old. They're a little glassy looking because I photographed them through the plastic covering in the photo album.)

Springish

It's Springish around here. The birds and frogs are singing. Trees and shrubs are budding. Daffodils are blooming.

I weeded my gardens this morning. It was like weeding mud puddles. We've had SO much rain that the dirt has compacted in the raised beds and isn't much better in the other beds. We've had such a mild winter that several of my herbs and flowers have continued to grow all winter.  My perennials all have
shoots peeping up through the ground. Well, actually - they're doing more than peeping. Many of them are inches high already. So unusal when I compare this year with 2010 and 2011.

After tackling the garden, I headed to knitting. We had a smallish crowd today. There was a stole, shawlettes, headbands,a couple scarves, a shawl, socks, and even a chicken in the works. 

Elizabeth finished this adorable baby sweater with matching hat. She has a great imagination and just never can seem to do a pattern exactly like it is written. On this sweater, she added the stripes across the body and the sleeves and the pocket. The little baby boy that is receiving these handknits will look adorable in them.

Andy arrived home around 7:00 last night and we headed to the Phone Booth Lounge to listen to Dennis' band, Streetwise. Dennis recently joined them as their drummer and this was his first public appearance with them. Meg, Dennis' wife, Sam, his son, and Jeremy, Sam's friend, were all there and we had such a good  time. The band was fantastic! They played a lot of my favorites but I have to say Mustang Sally was a lot of fun! Complete with the car horns! The crowd really seemed to enjoy them. The dance floor was packed. If you're in the Southwest Ohio area, check out their website to see their schedule page. If you're looking for a rousing night out on the town with great music, this band might just be for you.

Another sign of Spring - bunny rabbits! This species is a Landen rabbit! I sent out Easter packages for both of the grandbabies - some clothes, a touch and feel book, a stuffed hand puppet of a frog that ribbits for Landen, and Baby Genius DVD's that I got through Groupon. I also sent Blakeney flower petals on a headband and Landen these bunny ears. It's hard to believe in approximately 11 weeks, this little boy will turn 1 year old. I haven't seen him since October. Can't stand it!

My Mom and Dad have a gazillion daffodils in their backyard. Andy ate dinner with them last Thursday night when he was in Virginia. Mom sent back a jug full of flowers. I LOVE them! I will be planting bulbs this fall. I change my mind constantly re: which one is my favorite. Right this minute, I LOVE the ones with the orange centers.

Flowers. Green tips on the trees. Birds singing. Definitely Springish!

If you live in the vicinity of Mason, OH, come join me for a Bunny Nugget Knit-Along this coming Tuesday night at Main Street Yarns.

Enjoy!

Proud As Punch

Take a look at this web site! It's the site for Taylor's restaurant - 525 at the Berry Burk - in Richmond, VA. Opening won't be for another month or two but progess is being made.

You can find more info including construction pictures on Facebook.

Get your appetites ready - there will be a new taste in Richmond soon!

Indy Yarn Crawl, Take 3 - Knit-Stop

Our third and final stop on our Indy Yarn Crawl was Knit Stop. 

Joyce greeted us. She and her staff answered our many questions and wound yarn until we broke their swift. Does that tell you anything? We were having a blast!

Knit Stop describes itself as a luxury yarn boutique. Indeed. 

Habu Textiles, Buffalo Gold, Tilli Thomas, Jacques Cartier Quivit, Blue Heron Yarns, Artyarns, etc. Their yarn list reads like a celebrity
who's who list. If you need jewels in your hand-knits, this your place. You can find yarn adorned with Swarovski crystals, sequins, and other glitz and glam.

Absolutely stunning!

Knit Stop offers a lot of yarns that I haven't seen in other stores in the area. I love Prism yarns. They also offered Manos, Noro, Koigu, Rowan, Jade Sapphire, Loet, Blue Sky Alpacas, and many others. 

We also found unique handles for purses and other accessories
and literally a wall of needles.

After all our purchases were made, we boarded the bus one last time. Homeward bound. 

We had a wonderful time! Smile and laugh muscles were sore. Wallets were lighter. Arms were laden with not only the projects were brought with us to work on but with new projects in the waiting. 

I can hardly wait to do it again!!

Now, the question is - where to next time?

Indy Yarn Crawl, Take 2 - Village Yarn Shop

Our second stop on our fibery journey was Village Yarn Shop in Zionsville, IN. Zionsville (here and here) is an adorable town with its Main Street paved entirely in brick. We had more
time in our schedule in Zionsville so we could visit Village Yarn Shop, have lunch, and also poke around the town and see the other cute shops.

Our first order of business upon arrival in Zionsville was lunch! Some of headed to The Friendly Tavern and others went off to Serenity.

After we had fueled up, we were ready for more fiber fumes. 

Harriet warmly welcomed us to Village Yarn Shop. The shop was busy! There were people knitting at a table at the front of the store and others relaxing in the comfy chairs toward the back.

The big hit here were the felted flowers. Many of us bought these and wore them for the rest of the day. I didn't get one and wish I had. They had big and small ones and they were very nicely made. Some of them looked like roses, some like camellias, and others were daisy or mum-like.

I got nabbed by a sample by the cash register - Just Enough Ruffles Scarf. One of the employees was knitting it out of Malabrigo and it was so pretty. Sold! But, they didn't have the yarn. Oh well, we had one more stop to make!

I also fell in love with two shades of Kid Silk Haze Stripe for this pattern - Mohair Bias Loop. This yarn is so ethereal - heavenly and light as a feather. This is worked on size 10.5 needles. I can hardly wait to cast-on for this cowl.

After we finished up in Village Yarn Shop, we headed up and down the street to explore. We'd gotten wind of chocolate in the area.

Found it! Ganache Chocolatier.

Truffles! Bark! Coffee! Etc. 

YUM! They had large truffles and smaller ones. It was very difficult making up our minds on what to get. Christie purchased a chocolate dipped apricot and a piece of sea salt chocolate. I leaned toward the coconut truffle, then the mint truffle, then the peanut brittle truffle, then the red velvet truffle. I finally chose a small pecan caramel truffle. SWOON-worthy!

There were restaurants, wine bars, art galleries, jewelry stores, artisan co-op shops with handcrafted and painted items, and more. There were also lots of benches where we could sit and rest while we waited for the group to gather and the bus to pick us up to head to our third and final stop of the day.

Good thing our 25 passenger bus only had 14 knitters aboard. After two stops, it was getting a tad bit snug. We decided our packages would make good airbags if needed.

Indy Yarn Crawl, Take 1 - Mass Ave

The long awaited day arrived and fourteen of our Saturday Knitting At Noon group boarded a bus for a Yarn Crawl to the knitting shops in Indianapolis and Zionsville. We were on the road by 8:00 AM and arrived at our first stop just a little after 10:00 AM.

The first shop on our list was Mass Ave. The bus pulled around to the back of the shop - this unassuming quiet little building. Very deceiving! The shop was huge! Jam-packed with fibery goodness. So much to see and fondle.

I meant to call  Mass Ave on Friday to warn tell them that we were coming but work was busy and I just didn't have time. No matter - you blog readers linked to their website and they linked back to me to see where all the traffic was coming from. They read my post and were expecting us.

Drew met us at the door with nice shopping bags and news of discounts and sales. Susan and Drew could not have been more welcoming. They were knowledgeable and very helpful as we asked question after question about the yarns and patterns. They gave us the layout of the shop - the yarns were arranged by weight for the most part with a baby / children's section, also. There were many many many knitted samples on display and four of them snagged my interest. There's nothing quite like seeing the actual piece worked up  and being able to try them on. 

I got patterns for the Puzzle Jacket, the Tofu Tee, the Mitered Cowl, the Parisian Ribbed Wrap, and Simply Squared Plus. I have the Simply Squared but wanted the pattern with directions for the next size up, too. Love this vest pattern. I got yarn for three of these pattern - the tee, the cowl, and the wrap. Two of the patterns were free with yarn purchase. Yeah!

I figured two hours for each shop and we used every minute of our allotted time in Mass Ave. This is a shop well-worth a visit. Very customer friendly! I know a lot, if not all, of us will definitely return.

After our two hours, we all piled back into the bus and off we went! 

The bus was a wonderful way to travel for our group. Most of us were busily knitting away throughout the time on the road. I brought along two book lights and a headlamp just in case knitting in the dark was necessary. But, they weren't needed as the bus had lights!

While riding along, I worked on two projects - Pettine and Hitchhiker. 

Pettine (on the left) is an old knit that got set aside while other projects were started and completed. This is a very pretty shawlette and I'm anxious to get it finished. I love this Berroco sock yarn with the metallic in it for this piece. Great for shawls and shawlettes, I think. Not sure how I'd like it for socks, though.

Hitchhiker (on the right) is a new cast-on. I'm using Prism sock yarn that I got from Knitting Sisters at Knitting At The Lake in January. Chris, at Main Street Yarns, was knitting it last time I was in and it looked interesting. It's an easy knit and I like the shape. This pattern (link above) is available on Ravelry as a single pattern or as one of four in an e-Book. I liked all four of the patterns so purchased the book. They're such versatile designs.

Stay tuned for Indy Yarn Crawl, Take 2 tomorrow! Too much good stuff to post all at once!

Not A Skein Untouched

We had a fibery blast! Fourteen of us traveled to Indianapolis and Zionsville, IN today and hit three yarn shops. So much fun!!! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. I'm pooped!