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Marginal
Weather: It's been warm, sunny and mostly dry all week. Believe it or not, even after all the recent rain, we are now under a High Forest Fire danger. Geeze....... Current projects:
Projects on hold. I'm bored with these!: A lace scarf out of hand painted Merino. This is a test project for the business. I might start to sell this yarn. Haven't finished it. Not crazy about the colors. Maybe I'll make it into socks instead. Charcoal gray alpaca sweater. I have misplaced the instructions. Should be interesting to finish it without them. No quilts in progress
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Flooding is receding and almost gone on the CT River. It's
still a bit high in Middletown, but that is to be expected with the Spring
melt up north.
Last weekend was the annual CT Sheep Breeders Sheep & Wool Festival up in Vernon CT. We decided to be vendors in the beginning of April so it was a hustle to get everything ready. My order of Brittany Needles didn't arrive in time (they're STILL not here!) I called them and left a message, however I have not heard back from them. Anyway, I had enough of other products to keep the crowd happy. Knitters are maturing. They no longer want the Boucle or novelty yarns. They have progressed to real wool and they are knitting real garments. Can I have an AMEN? I'm so glad the....."novelty" of novelty yarn has passed. It kinda reminded me of the Disco phase back in the '80's--it was fun, exciting, but honestly, how long could we keep up with it? My feeling is that novelty yarn should be used like spices in cooking. A little bit is interesting and flavorful and can enhance a meal. A lot can result in a trip to the Emergency room. Anyway, this year the sales focused around yarn and knitting needles. We didn't sell as much fiber as we had last year. We decided to drop our prices and even them out for ease of payment. We are also absorbing the CT Sales tax. It was just easier to have someone hand me a $20 bill for a couple of skeins of yarn. I was a good girl and did not shop much. I couldn't. We were too busy! I managed to snag a couple fleeces. One is a Shetland, the other a Cormo Cross. I had wanted the Cormo Cross but there were two ladies standing in front of it discussing and feeling the fiber. I waited. And waited. I walked up to the checkout table, told the fleece cashiers that I had my eye on the Cormo Cross. They looked at the ladies, who by now had just turned their back to the fleece, yet were still talking. The fleece cashier, slipped over behind the table and SNAGGED it for me! We were of like-minds in fiber. The two ladies never knew what happened. Sorry folks. This is business. You snooze, you lose. Remember in fleece sales, if you even have a slight feeling that you want a fleece, grab it and hold it until you are certain you do or don't want it. Fleece sales can be like the big sale day at Filenes's basement. I also purchased several bars of wonderful soaps at Glastonbury Glassworks table. I love Scott's handmade buttons, but I must find a cardigan pattern that I want to knit before I decide on the buttons. On a side note, I did just purchase Bonne Marie's pattern for CeCe. I'm thinking of knitting it in a light cotton or fingering weight wool yarn. I also bought some absolutely wonderful cordless clippers to shear the bunnies. I can't think of the man's name that was selling them, but he is at every show. He is the man with the big trailer and all of the harnesses, ointments and clippers for farm animals. The clippers run through the fine angora like a hot knife through butter. I can't say enough wonderful things about them! They were not as expensive as some (only $139). The vendor told me to but this pair as he also has rabbits and uses them. I love honest vendors. Finally, my big/little purchase of the day. Meet the three sisters.
I'm a sucker for tiny, fluffy critters. I left my leg and foot in the photo to give you all an idea of their (the bunnies not my legs!) size. They are about the size of Guinea pigs right now. You all know that I have been searching for a black Angora. The local rabbit rescue societies would not let me adopt as I "am a fiber person". I think that is equivalent to serial killer in their minds. So, what's a bunny lover to do? Set up right next to us was Louise. Louise was the breeder up at the MA Sheep Show that I purchased George (formerly know as Loretta) and Henry from last year. She had Satin & Giant babies, but only 1 black bunny and she is a Giant Angora. That is a breed. They can get to be 12 pounds. Our cats weigh about 6 or 7 pounds. Our dog weighs 25 pounds. You get the idea. Big BUNZ. I picked up and snuggled with the little black doe, promptly naming her Gillian. But she seemed scared and lonely. I thought well how about I get another to keep her company. I next grabbed the gray (color called chinchilla) bunny and called her Tess. Louise, the every wise breeder said to me, "if you buy a third one, I'll give you a discount.." She was already giving me a break in the price because of the whole Loretta/George issue. A BUNNY SALE! How could I resist? I finally picked out the cream (Ermine colored) bunny but waited for a name to come to me. I put them all in a large box in our trailer to sleep out the remainder of the show. The name of the ermine colored doe became apparent to me during the afternoon. She continually attempted to jump and climb out of the box. Her name is Isadora (Dora) Duncan Bunz. She is flamboyant, excited and full of energy, just as her human namesake was reported to be. So, our rabbit names are: Eloise Edna, Ruby Gretchen (a big German girl!), Henry Alexander, George Spencer, Nigel Farnsworth and the little girls are: Gillian Mae, Tess Louise (aka Contessa or Tessie Lou) and Isadora Duncan Bunz. Yes, all of our animal must have middle names. Steve finds the "Duncan Bunz" part of the name amusing. Three baby bunnies plus the five already at home. Eight bunnies. I think I need an intervention.
Recently completed projects-most recent first:
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