The Woolen Rabbit

Little Nothings.....

Birthdays, anniversaries, memorials, festivals
Measure our progress on the path.
Deng Ming~Dao

The other day at the Sheep and Wool festival, Laurie and I were talking about how easy it is to lose your blog voice when you have stepped away for a bit.  Somedays it seems as though life goes by so fast that a thought has come and gone and then a day has come and gone....then a week....and that thought is long gone.  I could completely relate, because I feel the same way at times.

My life has been very busy since the last NH Sheep and Wool festival, but it has been a wonderful kind of busy, as I get to do the things that I love to do for work, but on the other hand...it is still work.

The one thing I have lost over the last few years however is the free time that I once had to knit, weave and visit with friends as much as I would like to....I miss that the most.

These "Little Nothing" scarves of Anne's have been perfect for me during this time in my life right now.  I actually feel as though I am accomplishing something at the end of the week, which hasn't been happening here for a spell.

Many nights, when I finally get to sit down, I am just too tired to tackle anything that I have to think very much about.  This new little scarf is so easy, peasy that I was able to memorize the pattern right off.  I actually find that I look forward to the hour I have at night and in the morning now to knit.

I am really looking forward to the summer and the change in schedules.  Life seems to become a bit more flexible and relaxed don't you think?

The weather here is really starting to warm up nicely, so I thought that I would start back again with Friday's Flowers this week.

Please feel free to snag my button on my side bar and join along.  It was fun last year to see how different the flowers are from region to region.  I look forward to seeing your flowers again this year too!

New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival

Another New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival has come and gone.  The weather was picture perfect and spending time with good friends was as magical as ever.

Now, one thing you are not going to see on my blog this year is pictures of those friends because I didn't take my camera with me.  Learning to use the new camera is like trying to learn how to ride a bike again.  I am sure that you will see a bunch of pictures over the next few days however.....the grrls were in rare photography form..LOL!

As we have been tearing apart my barn in preparation for the Studio that Ken is building for me, I was ever mindful of how much fiber I have stashed in there, so I resisted the temptation to by too much fiber. 

The only stuff that did come home with me were these 2 lovely angora blends from Chris.  Yes...you read that right...angora...and yes, I have a barn full of angora, but these are ready to sit and be spun and oh so beautiful!  The only other purchases were some yummy dressings and a beautiful gift from Ken for Mother's Day.

I met up with the grrls for lunch, but for the rest of the festival, Ken and I took our time enjoying the weather and our day away from home.  At one point, he told me he felt bad, thinking I would rather be with my friends as I don't see them that often.

Silly man.......what he doesn't realize is that I treasure the time that we get to spend alone even more.  Having 5 children, well, you can well imagine how that goes.  We spent a number of years attending the festival was with a child in tow complaining each step of the way how boring it was.  I have to admit that i have enjoyed the childless trips a bit more :-)

All in all it was a fabulous day out!  A grrl needs that every now and then. :-)

"Boing!"

Peacock iridescence in veridical shadows,
Violet blooms spread to noonday sun.
The world's beauty is a swirl of color,
But in the flower's center is bright stillness.
Deng Ming~Dao

Whereas Anne's Boing is a wild child in her bright and happy colors, mine is a bit more fragile and subdued....a quiet but beautiful sister.

This is another beautiful lace stitch pattern that creates a little extra something to wear around your neck when it is not really that cold, but cool enough to warrant a bit of extra warmth...or to dress up an outfit.   I so enjoy knitting these little scarves, as they are easy to knit and finish in a short period of time.  Perfect for a gift as well. 

Pattern:  "Boing!"
Yarn:  300-400 yards (depending on desired length)
Woolen Rabbit Whisper Lace Yarn ~ Rhubarb
Needles:  US 4
Another fun knit!  (Available starting Friday)

Chambord anyone?

I bet you thought you were going to see a picture of a completed "Boing!"

Not today as Boing is getting a good soak in some hot water and Eucalan.  Later this afternoon I will block her so that hopefully I can take some pictures tomorrow when the sun comes back out....featuring my favorite shy model again.

The picture above is another one of Anne's patterns, Tesserae, done in some Harmony sock yarn in a colorway that was another nameless one until today.  Every time I looked at it, I could only think of the yummy frozen Chocolate Chambord drink we used to make years ago at a restaurant I used to work at.  YUM....

To give you an idea how much I enjoy working on this sock, I show you this picture...hee.

Those who know me well, know that this doesn't usually happen so soon after the first sock is completed.....however, this is such a neat pattern!

It's 2 groups of 6 rows each so it is easy to finish a repeat quickly and very easy to find where you left off without dragging the pattern around.  When I want mindless knitting or a glass of wine, I work on the sock :-).

Now that "Boing!" is finished, I am moving on to the next little nothing.  I really enjoy knitting these little scarves as they are easy to complete and fun to wear tucked into a sweater this time of year.  Simple lace stitch patterns perfect for those new to lace.

Now you may be wondering what that pretty background in all of my pictures is...or maybe not, but I will tell you anyways. :-)

Yesterday I met Terry for an afternoon of shopping and lunch.  Of course meeting in a fabric store in Portsmouth that has some of the best selection of fabric crammed into a very small space was the perfect reason to purchase something a bit more challenging for me in the sewing department.  Now that I feel like I have finally caught my breath, I am going to sit back down to the sewing machine again. :-)

As a footnote....thank you all so much for your camera suggestions!  Even though the Canon seemed to be the larger favorite, I am pretty sure I am going to get the Nikon.  After reading the online reviews and speaking with some diehard camera buffs, even the Canon folks were impressed with this new Nikon.  So now I have to save a few more pennies, but it will be worth it :-).