News From The Nest

Dear Garmin Nuvi

Dear Garmin Nuvi,

I always (well, usually) enjoy our little rides over the countryside but today was extraordinary!  How did you find all those backroads??  That single lane bridge over the wide river in the middle-of-absolutely-nowhere-in-Virginia was very exciting.  And, that really curvy road??!!!!  WOW!  I think I passed myself at least twice!  Oh, I must not forget the thrilling miles spent on those unmarked barely-wide-enough-for-one-car roads.  You never cease to amaze me -- how you can't find my office in the Richmond, VA area but you can discover towns (more like crossroads) that I've never heard of before in the 50+ years of living in this state.  As usual, you got me to my destination at the precise time you said you would.  How I got there, I have no idea!

Until our next ride,

Robin

WOW!

I checked my blog stats and found that I've had a lot of visitors via Simply Knitting, a United Kingdom knitting publication. 

How and why?? 

Well, this is the reason.

WOW!

It Was A Merry Christmas

The stockings were hung.  Well, actually they were propped.     

The stocking loot has always been very important in this family.  There's some good stuff in those socks.  And, no one is forgotten.  Everyone has a stocking.  Pictured here from left to right are  stockings for Annie, the kitty cats, Ashley, and Taylor.  Taylor and Brian have stockings that I knit back in the 1980's.  They love them because they stretch and can hold a ton of surprises.

The tree and presents were ready. 

The kitchen was clean (truly a miracle) and decorated.  The candle holder is from Pier One -- four little wire nests that hold tea light candles.  I love anything with nests or birds.  I filled in around the bottom with boxwood, magnolia, and Nadina.  Again, I love all the greenery that grows in my yard and will really miss it all if/when we move. 

The family was all here --- Taylor and Ashley, Brian and Eryn arrived late Christmas Eve, and Mom and Dad joined us Christmas morning.  There were also four dogs - Taylor's Gracie pup, Brian and Eryn's Darby and Bailey, and Mom and Dad's Lily.  My kitties were SO glad when the canines left later in the day. 

Everyone was dressed in his/her holiday finery.  Darby (right) and Bailey (left) showed off their Christmas T-shirts.  And, Lily was such a doggie diva in her red sweater.

After a brunch of breakfast casserole, grits, mixed fruit, cranberry and zucchini breads, the present opening began. 

There were gift cards, a smoker, a Bodom French press, suet cakes, a hooked rug, a fishing rod, earrings, music CDs, books, more gift cards, a set of pots and pans, etc.  It was great fun and over quickly.  

The bulk of the gifts I gave were gift cards.  I love me some gift cards!  I was the lucky recipient of ones from The Yarn Lounge in Richmond and Knit Picks.  Can hardly wait to shop with them!!  Andy and I will also enjoy free meals out at Red Lobster, Cracker Barrell, and Subway courtesy of one of our neighbors and Taylor.

Eryn and Brian are pictured here showing the rug Mom hooked for them.  It is based on a Fraktur design and shows their wedding date. 

The festivities ended and a calm settled over the house.  There was even some holiday snoozing. 

It was great having everyone here.  It was also great having the bathroom finished upstairs for the kids to use.  They all pronounced it "awesome". 

It was a thoughtful day - wondering where we'll be next Christmas.  Here or in a new home in Ohio?  We'll have to wait and see how it all shakes out.  In the picture to the left -- Brian, Eyrn, Taylor, Ashley, Mom, and Daddy.

I realized that I haven't pictured knitting on the blog for the past several posts.  I have been working on two Christmas gifts - socks and a scarf.  I didn't finish either project.  I'm still working on them and hopefully will finish them soon.  Here are the socks - in progress out of Reynold's Swizzle.

The boys had a blast - Taylor, especially - going through all their toys and games.  Now, Andy and I are left with the task to sort what's left into keepable piles and Goodwill piles.  We need to repack the stuff Taylor wants to keep and what we want to keep.  Even though we have a lot more to do, I believe we've made a dent.

Throughout everything, the snowmen maintain their smiling faces.  I love them for it!  They're always so cheery and make me smile no matter how harried life gets.

Hope each of you had a fantastic yesterday. 

Now, sit back and relax!

Deck The Halls

I can hardly believe today is Christmas Eve!  How does it sneak up on me like this when I know the date and wait for it all year??

Taylor and Ashley arrived Saturday.  It's so good having them here.  Sunday, we headed to Williamsburg.  Ashley had never been so it was fun showing her the sites.  We rode the ferry across the James River to Williamsburg.  We met my friend, Jane, at Knitting Sisters and transferred nine bags of wool fabric for rug hooking and other stuff from my car to hers.  That was a load! 

Next, we walked up and down Duke of Gloucester Street (DOG Street).  The holiday decorations were beautiful!  I just love all the natural materials and the way they work up in the wreaths, garlands, etc.  At the garden on DOG Street, they were making arrangements from bittersweet, holly, boxwood, pine, cedar, pods, fruit, etc.  We stopped in at the bakery for hot chocolate and cookies. 

Finally, we hit the outlet shops.  We didn't have long to spend there but Ashley and Taylor managed to find a few purchases. 

I finally got the tree decorated Sunday night.  All snowmen again this year.  I just love them - such happy little fellows!  This year's snowman was purchased at Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair in Asheville.  He's a needle felted snowman and he's cute!

Tuesday, the guys from Three Brothers Auction company came with a Budget Rental Truck and carried off a whole truckload of stuff.  We even took the chandeliers down out of two rooms and let them go, too.  It's nice -- they come and get the stuff and it does not come back home. 

Taylor has taken charge of my kitchen since he arrived.  We've had some yummy meals!  This has truly been great since I'm so behind at work and trying to go through everything and pulling stuff out for the auction company has been exhausting. 

Tonight, Brian and Eryn will arrive.  Then, Mom and Dad will join us here for Christmas day brunch. 

I'm knitting a pair of socks for a Christmas gift and haven't quite finished sock number 1 - much less sock number 2.  Looks like I'll   be knitting through Christmas Eve service tomorrow night!  I might be giving an IOU!   

It's great having the second bathroom to use with the kids here.  I love the colors. 

I hope to check in with you all tomorrow but, in case, I don't get the chance --- here's wishing you a very Merry Christmas --- a happy holiday filled with laughter and joy.

I'm Still Here!

WOW!  What a week!  So much to do and so little time. 

Last Saturday, we had our rug hooking meeting at Fraser Rug Co. in Stoneville, NC.  It was a nice day and someone left the door open.  We had visitors!  What a surprise!

I also mentioned the wonderful bakery in Greensboro, NC - Simple Kneads.  This is the bread I purchased that I couldn't remember the name -- panettone.  It's so good!!  They used a paper cup to cook it in.  It's huge!

I have grapevine weaths on our doors year-round.  To make my wreaths and mailbox decoration at Christmas, I just walk down the sidewalk and break off boxwood.  I also cut magnolia from the trees in the yard and use cuttings from the Christmas   tree.  I LOVE having this greenery at hand.  

First, I tie the bow on.  Then, I just stick the greenery into the grapevine wreath around the top and bottom of the bow.   

Boy, this old house looks pretty bad in close-up pictures.  There's Earl Gray supervisoing on the porch.  You can also see the shutters -- we need to put them back up now that all the replacement windows are in.

The latest news here --- My husband has had to accept the job in Ohio.  This is the with the same company that closed the local plant where he has worked for 36 years.  He has searched and searched around Virginia and North Carolina and hasn't found anything.  If he did go with a new company, he'd be the new man on the totem pole and would probably be the first to go if they had a lay-off.  So, the job in Ohio offers the most job security, I guess.  He leaves January 4th so we have SO much to do over the next two weeks. 

An auction company is coming Tuesday and will take a lot of stuff away.  There are bags of stuff to be taken to Goodwill sitting everywhere.  Taylor and Ashley are coming home today and Brian and Eryn will be here briefly later in the week.  They're going to have to go through all their stuff to see what they want to keep.  We've been in this house since 1986.  We've accumulated a lot of stuff! 

Deciding what to do, when to do it --- it's just painful!  And, very overwhelming.

In the meantime, there's Christmas to deal with.  I haven't wrapped the first thing, sent out any cards, and the tree is still outside standing in the bucket of water!  This will be the weekend of miracles!  I'm sure it will all come together -- it always does. 

Another Most Excellent Adventure

After my work appointments on Friday, I headed south. 

I stopped in Greensboro, NC to visit the new fiber shop - Gate City Yarns on South Elm Street.  This used to be yarns, etc. where Tina had a space in the back of the shop named Spinner's Ridge.  When Mary closed the store, Tina and Carl bought the space and reinvented it.  They opened several months ago. 

Owners, Tina and Carl, have done a great job renovating this space to make it fit right in on eclectic artsy Elm Street.  They stripped away the wood on the walls to expose the original walls and painted them with warm cozy colors.  They added the fireplace in the back which makes me want to   return and sit and knit during the cold of winter.  You will see Tina's husband's, Larry's, handiwork all over the store.  He cleverly made their bins and shelves.  Larry's metal art is also displayed on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. 

Tina and Carl have stocked the large open store space with lots of yarns and fiber, spinning wheels, knitting and spinning accessories / supplies.  They offer classes and have a growing number of male knitters.  Tina said that their last knit night was a gathering of upper teens to senior citizens and about 50/50 gender-wise.  I found several new and different books and yarns.  If you're in Greensboro, this shop is a must visit -- bright, comfortable, and a knowledgeable staff. 

When I left Gate City, I headed straight for the alley.  For Simple Kneads.  Don't you just love the sunflower gate shown here??!  In my next life, it's a toss-up.  I want to be a photographer, a gallery owner, a fiber shop owner, AND / OR an artisan bread maked.  Simple Kneads is a real treat!  With shelves of rustic loaves of bread and cases of yummy looking cookies. For lunch, I purchased a tart-like pastry filled with cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes, and mushrooms.  Then, I bought a loave of cranberry-walnut bread and a domed holiday bread (it's in the car and I can't remember the name of it).  I must take a picture of the domed bread to show you.  Wonderful looking!!

Next, I left Greensboro and headed toward Matthews, NC for a quick visit to The Peace of Yarn.  Taylor gave me a gift certificate for Christmas last year and I HAD to use it!  Matthews is a really cute little town on the edge of Charlotte, NC.  Cindy is the owner of this bright shop that is so FULL of wonderful yarns.  So many different brands / colors / weights.  Another wonderful knitting shop.  Next time I go to this shop, I want extra time to poke around the Matthews area.  They have a Farmer's Market, coffee shop, etc.  Great little destination spot for the day.

After all the yarn excitement for the day, I met Taylor and Ashley at Barnes & Noble in Fort Mill, SC.  We had a great time looking at books and listening to music.  Ashley's mother, Karen, joined us and it was a real treat to sit and visit.  Afterwards, Taylor, Ashley, and I headed to LongHorn Steakhouse for supper and then to the movies.  We saw Four Christmases.  It was hysterical!  A great ending to the evening.  Taylor and Ashley are coming home for the week before Christmas so I'm sure I'll be posting many pictures.  Gracie pup will be coming, too!

Saturday, the rug hooking guild meets in Stoneville, NC for our holiday meeting.  I'll head there and plan to arrive by lunch.  Don't want to miss lunch and the gift swap! 

Knitting At Starbucks And FOR SALE

I was in Danville Monday morning and had so many errands to run.  I decided to stay in town for Monday night knitting at Starbucks.  I haven't been in several weeks and don't think I'll be back on a Monday for at least the New Year. 

Starbucks was all decked out in holiday style.  Actually, in knitterly style!  If you haven't been to your local Starbucks, you need to go and see the cute decorations -- balls of yarn as wreaths and topiary trees.  They even have a textured coffee mug that's a knit pattern with cables.  Of course, I think they did this just for us!

We had eight people knitting. 

Deb, our lone crocheter, had her hook smoking hot as she completed these cute slippers and a fingerless glove. 

Kelly was knitting on a green shrug and also tried out her   birthday present from Wanda - a Schacht spindle and roving.   

Mary Jane was pinch-knitting for daughter, Michelle, on an afghan in Virginia Tech colors. 

Michelle was sewing together the pieces of her Central Park Hoodie.  She  has been bitten hard by the knitting bug and has no less than a thousand projects going that need finishing by Christmas.  (Well, maybe not quite a thousand!) 

Timmie was knitting a sock, Diane fingerless mitts, and Wanda a wrap. 

I worked on my sock.  

FOR SALE, FOR SALE, FOR SALE: With my new acquisition of the Butterfly E- Spinner and the possible move, I've decided to sell my tiny Louet Victoria spinning wheel.  I've only used it once (to spin up a few ounces of roving) and still have the original cardboard shipping box.  The wheel is oak and comes with its own carry bag which can be either a tote or a backpack.  Two bobbins are included and I have purchased five more.  This wheel will fit in an overhead airplane compartment.  You can view this wheel at these two sites - Susan's Fiber Shop and The Woolery.  If interested, please email me or leave a comment.

End To The Birthday Weekend

Sunday, I left Chapel Hill, NC and headed to Mary's other knitting shop, Great Yarns in Raleigh.  What a great way to begin the day!  We had coffee, goodies, and a meditative presentation entitled Knitting As A Metaphor For Life. 

Sally included a few great quotes in her talk.  Two of which were --- "Creativity is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm" by Winston Churchill and "Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intellectually" by Henry Ford. 

Pictured here are Mary (on the left) and Sally.  Sally is wearing a sweater from her Mother-Daughter book that's coming out in March 2009.  She should be back in Canada by now - hope she had safe travels.  

Our class for Sunday afternoon was held in a classroom next to the knitting store in Whole Foods.  This made getting lunch awfully easy!  The subject of the class was First Choices / Basic Shapes.  It was VERY interesting - thought provoking.  With Sally's help, we examined what shapes go together to make flattering presentations.  We discussed fit - figuring out how and why a knitted sweater looks best at this length, this width, this shape, etc.  Sally instructed us on designing our own drop shoulder, modified drop shoulder, and drop shoulder saddle sweaters.  It was great -- she illustrated each point in her lesson with a finished sweater! 

Friday, I finished my Multi-directional Diagonal Scarf.  This one is for ME!  I love these colors.  This was knit from Noro Silk Garden - my absolute favorite yarn for this scarf.

While in class on Sunday, I cast on and began knitting on another pair of just plain socks.  This pair will be a Christmas present and is the first pair I've knit for someone else.  Gosh, I hope they fit!!  The yarn is Reynold's Swizzle Sock Yarn - 75% Merino Superwash, 25% Nylon.  This is the first time I've knit with this yarn. 

The biggest surprise of the weekend --- When I arrived home Sunday afternoon, I had a BIG box waiting for me in the hallway.  My handcrafted Butterfly Electric Spinner had arrived!!!!!!  Jerry does such a nice job - his workmanship is wonderful.  The base of my Butterfly is walnut and is so pretty!!  It also has a Woolee Winder.  I've never had a Woolee Winder on any of my wheels.  This will be a treat! 

Andy did the minimal set-up, I plugged it in, and I was off and spinning away!  First, I spun up a little hand-dyed cotton.  It was a little tedious due to the short fibers but it did okay.  Then, I worked with some merino top in from Stony Mountain Fibers in Sage.  This performed much better and is turning out very nicely.  The Butterfly so quiet!  And, OH this Woolee Winder!!!!!!  It's wonderful not to have to stop and move the yarn from hook to hook.  Now, I need to get busy spinning up all this fiber!!!! 

The Happy Birthday Weekend That Almost Wasn't

Today is my birthday!!!!  Just so happened that Mary, of yarns, etc. in Chapel Hill, NC and Great Yarns in Raleigh, NC, had planned a wonderful weekend full of classes with Sally Melville.  I LOVE Sally Melville's designs and have all of her books (of course!).  I signed up for the WHOLE weekend - five sessions in all - beginning Friday night.  Even my work appointments cooperated - from an early morning appointment on Friday in Louisburg, NC and then a jog over to Chapel Hill and Raleigh for the weekend. 

Well, my diverticula had other ideas.  They obviously were not aware that I had special weekend plans.  I will not go into this further other than to say that the kickin' pain delayed my workshop attendance until today's afternoon class.  Thank goodness for the wonders of medicine!  I only missed Friday night's presentation, Making The Most Of Yarn Collection, and this morning's class, Borders And Buttonholes.  Man!  I really needed that yarn collection talk!

After crashing at Mom and Dad's yesterday - how convenient to have had the suitcase packed and in the back of the car - I left there this morning and headed toward Chapel Hill, NC.  The route took be right through Hillsborough, NC and it just so happened that Hillsborough Yarns had a parking space right in front of the store!  That was excuse enough to stop in and visit Anne.  I shopped a bit and also picked up her doorprize donations for KNTTIN' at the LAKE in January.  (Thanks so much, Anne!!)

Back in the car, I headed off to Chapel Hill and yarns, etc..  I arrived early enough to spend a little time shopping in the store before going across the street for the class. 

The afternoon class was on Stripes and Stripes That Aren't.  Very interesting.  All kinds of stripes were discussed and practiced.  Stripes made with color and stripes made with texture.  We learned several very interesting stitches.  We were also delighted to see and pass around samples of sweaters from her books.  I have placed several pieces on my "Must Do" list.  Just gorgeous!  Sally is very clever at construction and design.  [My class practice piece is shown here to the right.] 

You all will want to watch for her new book, Mother-Daughter Knits.  Why is it called this???  Because she has collaborated with her daughter, Caddy, for a book on patterns for all age - 30 designs to flatter and fit.  This will be her first book with her daughter and it sounds great. 

I enjoyed dinner tonight with Mary and Sally at A Southern Season's cafe, The Weathervane.  The shrimp and grits were to die for delicious!  Conversation was very enjoyable - Sally's life in Canada, traveling and teaching knitting, designing patterns and writing books, her ideas re: the art and Mary's experience as an owner of two yarn shops, workshop coordinator, etc.  

You can't go to A Southern Season without doing a little shopping.  I did a good job of getting stocking stuffers and a couple of Christmas gifts.  Before leaving, I snagged a piece of New York cheesecake to take to Andy and a piece of Pumpkin Cognac Cheesecake for my birthday from the bakery.  The fellow in the deli even put a pinwheel in with mine so I could celebrate back at the hotel.  The deli and bakery were drool-worthy.  They had one of these, a Lemon Charlotte Royale, that was perfectly beautiful!  I have never heard of this -- it was much prettier in person!

Tomorrow morning, I head east to Raleigh, NC for a presentation, Knitting As A Metaphor For Life, in the morning and a class, First Choices/Basic Shapes, in the afternoon. 

Maybe at the end of the afternoon, I'll crawl into Sally's suitcase and head back to Canada with her!  Glorious stuff in that suitcase!

Stay tuned -- more Sally Melville class fun coming up tomorrow!  And, I think we need to have a contest.  Tis the Season!