Sylvia

The lasted to be keeping me busy... Our Sylvia has arrived!  We are all exhausted but doing well.

Rainbow Fleece Farm

A little lamb.

With the onset of lambing season and then shearing season it seems spring is a natural time for fiber fanatics, knitters etc to get out and find some supplies and meet new people.  There are a lot of events of this kind once the weather warms.  And with the onslaught of new fiber and nice weather it seems the creativity/ excitement of a new project is inevitable.

Two weekends ago was the Madison Knitter's Guild Knit In.  Which I attended last year for the shopping and again this year for the shopping.  Hopefully this is the year I actually join and meet more like minded people...

This past weekend I made my way to Rainbow Fleece Farm.  The visit consisted of angora rabbits, sheep with their spring lambs, chickens, geese, and a LOT of fiber and yarn supplies.  I had already over done myself at the Knit In and so simply enjoyed the farm atmosphere but bringing nothing more than photos home with me.  Rationalizing to myself that the baby could come any day, the last thing I needed was another project... or what I really wanted to bring home, an angora rabbit.

The chicken of choice if I do have my own flock someday.

Rainbow Fleece Farm hens out perambulating.

Early Spring

I planted three Helleborus last spring and all appear to be blooming/budding this year.  Stunning.

I waddled around the yard this morning documenting the green things.  Most of which are earlier than usual due to the warm weather.  Pictured are a few of my favorites.

Spring seems to haven been skipped over and summer has begun.  Although I do think we may get a few more days of true winter/spring weather yet- at least I'm planning on it so as not to be disappointed.  There is still a very real possibility that this baby could be born during a snowstorm.

Tiny buds and leaves on the Dappled Willow.  Actual size is about 1/4" in length per bud/leaf.

Last year's Sedum flower in the foreground and the new growth just starting to peak out of the ground,

Gift Wrapping

For the holidays I made these amazingly simple (but time consuming) ornaments/ wrapping toppers.  They were quite the stash buster for fabrics.  I prefer to wrap most all presents I give in old news and usually tie them closed with some sort of yarn.  Many were sold at The Purple Goose all remaining will decorate my tree next year.  A tree full of white fabric ornaments.   Want to make your own?

DIY:
1. Cut out many circles (at least 12 per ornament)
2. One by one using needle and button thread (it's sturdier than regular) pinch the middle of the fabric circles and hand stitch together.
3.  Keep adding fabric circle pieces until the ornament is full enough to meet your taste (or level of ambition) tying off your thread at the end to secure.
4. With a decorative silver or gold thread create a hanging thread by poking through the center of the ball and knotting the ends together.   Mine were about 3" in length when knotted.

Painter Crush: Gregory L Blackstock

When visiting an art exhibit in WI this fall I came across this lovely painting by Gregory L Blackstock.  He has as interesting a story as it gets (more info about him at the Garde Rail Gallery).  Being an autistic savant he has the ability to categorize, remember and paint things most of us overlook or take for granted.  In addition to his story it's the stylized precision and color that makes this particular painting resonate with me.  If you come across a place to purchase a print do let me know, I am lusting after it.

Texture Knit Dress

This is a dress we had at The Purple Goose for only a short time this fall (everyone loved it= we sold out FAST).  Being pregnant buying clothes for oneself, even when this fantastic, just doesn't seem to happen.  And of course I was hoping for the challenge of knitting my own version of this beautiful thing.  It still has my knitting head a buzz with it's varied stitch texture and great use of types of yarns.  Maybe a baby sized version is more like it?  It would be so fantastic I can hardly take it!  Ack!  Must run off to finish what I have already started....

Fall Visit Home

Oaks keeping their leaves and their promise.

Plethora of pinecones.

Olive wondering what it is I'm taking a photo of.

The wreath collection.

I'm realizing my visits home have been linked to the seasons...  so 4 times a year it seems I get to see the home and land I grew up on.  Fall may just be my favorite time of the year there.  The temps are perfect for walks and exploring.  The bugs are usually gone allowing for one to linger in the woods and tall grasses without fear of massive amounts of bug bites (or being loaded with bug spray).  The colors and light should not be overlooked either.

My Mother likes to make wreaths from the wild vines she tears down from the trees.  Left unchecked those vines have the ability to kill the trees.  Of course there is a plethora of the vines so there is no fear of making them extinct or running out of supplies for this fun fall habit.