Colors of August

It's time for the colors of August!!!!




Every month, since October last year, bloggers around the world share the colors in nature that inspire them.


This month, I took photos in the trial gardens in Prescott Park, Portsmouth, NH where a wide variety of flowers are tested each year.


We've got 3 months left to round out the year of colors (October 2009 - October 2010). You're welcome to join in this month, even if you've never played before!


Even though this toad might not be beautiful, the colors would work great together in a woven item!



To show your colors, just make a blog entry with your photos, and add a link to it here:


Please make sure your blog entry points back to this blog entry, so people can find the other colors of the month too!!


Happy August!!

If you're in the northern hemisphere, I hope that the last solidly summery month is a good one for you!

Good wishes to folks in the southern hemisphere too!!

A VERY Belated Thanks

Posting on Tuesday about my prize from LAM's Blog made me wonder if I had posted my thanks for another giveaway from the spring. I'm mortified to discover that the post was partially written, but that I hadn't posted it yet.

I hope Theresa will forgive me for my very belated thanks!


An embarrassingly long time ago, Theresa had a give-away to celebrate her first blogoversary.

I was one of the lucky winners! Look at this gorgeous box of yarn she sent me!!


These colors are great for me, so I'm probably going to knit something for myself. Theresa generously included the pattern for this cardigan (On Ravelry: Peony by Marie Wallin). I've also love this leaf kimono in this yarn on Ravelry.

I'm not quite ready to start knitting something fabulous from this yarn. But it does seem like it will make a beautiful garment, perhaps to wear next summer.

Brittie, our first Brittany

To thank Theresa, she requested that the winners donate to the animal shelter of their choice. I chose our local shelter, the NH SPCA. They're a fabulous shelter.

Our first Brittany came from the SPCA. Plus, Bailey has attended two classes there, "Oh Behave!" when he was about a year old, and the stop barking class he attended last summer.

I even used to volunteer at the SPCA. Very fun and rewarding! (I usually did fund-raising or events because of the fear that I'd fall in love with too many dogs!!)

A huge belated thank you to Theresa!! Here's hoping for many more blogoversaries!!

Good Influence

They say that people are influenced by whomever they surround themselves with.


These tomato plants are just a bit of evidence of how my blog buddies have influenced me.

After a 20 year hiatus from gardening, this year we planted 3 tomato plants (regular sized, cherry and Roma). And we're harvesting tomatoes daily.


We might be cheating a little by using the Topsy Turvy for two of the plants. So far, no signs of the heinous tomato hornworm...our nemesis last time we grew tomatoes!


Thanks to all of you gardeners out there who post about your gardening adventures, especially Colleen, Kelly, Leigh and Lynnette. (I know that as soon as I post this list, I'll think of 10 other bloggers with amazing and influential gardens!)

Thanks LAM!!!

Recently, I was the lucky winner of a giveaway on LAM's Blog.


Lynn is a fabulous quilter (and weaver and basket maker among other talents). I love her work, so of course I was thrilled to see what this book that she sent had in store for me.


These projects seem perfect for me. It contains a wide variety of looks and techniques in projects that are small enough that I'm not totally intimidated.

Thanks Lynn for the book! You all know that I will definitely blog about it when I make something from this book....but you also know that sometimes my project incubation phase is long!

Visit Amazon for more about the book.

Mindless Knitting

I'm in the mood for mindless knitting, a project I can easily work on while hanging out, chatting.


I visited the Yarn Basket in Portsmouth, NH and found two beautiful yarns.

The purple is 220 Superwash Paints by Cascade Yarns in color 9871 (Grape).


My plan is to make two more Misty Garden scarves, for gift-giving opportunities that pop up.


The orange yarn is worsted weight by Riverstone Yarns Hand-dyed natural fibers in color Tangerine. It was made in the US, but dyed in Creston, British Columbia. (I can't find a link to it to show you....but you can see my pictures!)


I just noticed that last August I started my first Misty Garden scarf. Must be something about this time of year....

So Speedy!

Wow! That was quick!!

Less than 24 hours after I placed my order, UPS brought a box of yarn to my door!

Here are my Homestead Cotton colors for lace samples and dishtowels. A green that I'm considering for the warp is back-ordered.

The colors in this project remind me of SweeTarts (one of my favorite candies growing up).


The purple cottolin and pearl cotton from my towels and Theo Moorman homework also arrived.


Plus, new color cards for yarns like bamboo, tencel and updated colors for Harrisville and Halcyon's new cotolin.

Exciting!!!

Related posts:
Fall yarn order

Time for More Yarn!

It's August.

I have weaving homework due in September and October.

Time to get to work!

Here's my dining room when I'm deep in thought about a yarn purchase.

I'm buying yarn right now to make 24 lace samples by mid-September. I've chosen a draft. Now I need yarn.

My plan is to do the samples at the start of the warp (4 samples wide by 6 samples long), then weave 7 dish towels from the end of the warp. I can never have enough towels for my kitchen, and the kitchens of friends. I love giving towels as gifts!


While I'm at it, I've got a towel warp on my Toika that has veered off course from my original concept for the project. I'm still very happy with the project, but I need a different weft color.

I have a bit of a purple cottolin from Halcyon that will be perfect for this project. Their website makes cottolin seem a little confusing.

A quick phone call straightens me out. Halcyon will still carry the Swedish cottolin that I love, but as a special order.

They will also be sourcing a new cotolin from Canada that they can get more quickly.

Fortunately, the color I want is still in stock so there won't be a long wait for it.


For my lace samples and towels, I've played around a bit with the Homestead Cotton color card. I'm planning a warp with 3 colors, then will experiment with different colors in the weft.

I used crayons to design my general color scheme. I won't really know what I think until the yarn arrives.

Fortunately, it's $3.50 for a 600-yard mini-cone, so I can afford to buy some extra colors.


In October, I have homework in the Theo Moorman technique. We just have to make a finished project, rather than samples to share with the rest of the class.

I've decided to try to make a bag using yarn left from my First-Time-at-WEBS Scarves.

I'll use the bulky knitting yarns from that project as the inlay threads. I have a blended yarn for the thick yarn in the ground cloth. But I need to find a coordinating thin yarn for the ground cloth. That thin yarn will also tie down the inlay threads. (If I'm using this terminology incorrectly, please let me know! I don't want to lead people astray!)

Luckily, Halcyon has Pearl Cotton that should do nicely.

Now, I'll just add some soda ash for a future dyeing project, and some new color cards since my Yarn Store in a Box is a little out of date.

Hopefully the yarn will arrive in plenty of time for my fall deadlines! (Of course, both of my looms are occupied too.....so I need to get weaving!)

I know these projects probably don't make a lot of sense to you from this blog post. I will be blogging about each one as I work on it....so no worries! Soon you'll be tired of me giving details about lace or Theo Moorman technique I promise!!

Seacoast Fiber Fest

Hosted at Riverslea Farm in Epping, NH Sunday, Aug 15, from 10am to 2pm

Join us for a day that celebrates natural fibers … an event for teachers, students, artists, or anyone interested in the many uses of natural fibers.

• See the process that takes raw fiber to a finished garment

• Learn about the many forms of fiber arts including weaving, knitting, felting, dyeing and more

• Watch angora spun straight from the rabbit’s back

• Try your hand at weaving on one of our portable looms


Demonstrations!
Weaving, knitting, spinning, felting & more

Products!
Yarn, spinning fibers, domestics, accessories

Activities!
Learn new crafts, knitting circle, fiber fun for children

Sorry — no farm tours, and no pet animals are allowed.

More info on Riverslea's website.

I had a great time at the winter indoor version of this event.

I'll be at the summer version also, possibly demoing on a small loom that a friend is bringing. If you want to shop, try weaving or spinning, or just visit a beautiful farm, come by!! If you let me know you're coming, I'll keep an eye out for you!!

I won't be selling anything....I'm not nearly prolific enough as a weaver or knitter to have anything available to sell!

Welcome August!

Our gorgeous, hot, sunny, dry summer continued right through July. It's been a wonderful month to play outside!

I so appreciate all of the bloggers who shared the Colors of July on their blogs! I love to see July through your eyes!!

Here's the July round-up, from around the world:

1. Its been a spectacular July in the Pacific Northwest!
2. Odettes Colours of July
3. Colors of Southern Appalachia
4. Southeast Michigan is Hot.
5. Colours of July in the Southern Inerior of BC
6. Colors of July from the High Desert
7. Lesley in Australia
8. Colours of July from East to West
9. Colors of July in Georgia
10. De kleuren van juli
11. Colours of July
12. A Long Eaton garden in July

Photos of the gardens in Prescott Park, Portsmouth, NH.

Related posts:
Colors of July
Colors of June
Colors of May
Colors of April
Colors of March
Colors of February
Colors of January
Colors of December
Colors of November
Colors of late October