Red Camo Hat

In February, Main Street Art held their first annual Knit In.

They provided a meeting place, yarn (including donated yarn from Riverslea Farm), knitting patterns, camaraderie and excellent snacks from private sources and the Newfields General Store.

The drop-in knitters provided our labor and good company.

From those ingredients, this red camo hat was created.

Inspiration & Motivation:

• Join the fun at Main Street Art
• Contribute a well-made, warm hat to New Horizons of New Hampshire
• I chose this gorgeous red yarn from a bin of different yarns because I loved the cheeriness of this color

What I liked about this project:

• Knitting in good company for a good cause
• It really is possible to knit a hat in a day
• It's a luxury when some one else makes all the decisions on a project for me
• I actually started and finished a project within days.....so unusual for me!

What I'd do differently next time:

• I didn't use Riverslea yarn which bums me out because I'm curious about what it's like to work with
• I didn't set aside as much of that day as I'd have liked....so I had hat homework!
• Something about the decreases at the top of this pattern doesn't sit well with me.
• I messed up, and forgot to make the "turn up" row, where instead of rib, it's a row of all knit. Ooops!!

Needles: US 7 double-pointed bamboo needles
Yarn: Takhi yarn from the 1980's, probably Takhi tweed of some sort
Pattern: Camo Hat by Merri Fromm from Blue Sky Alpacas Pattern Leaflet: Traveler's Series

Have you noticed that you can sing "Red Camo Hat" to the tune of "Red Solo Cup"? (For some reason, that song is such an earworm for me....maddening! Luckily I didn't name this hat til I was done knitting, or I would have been singing that song in my head the whole time!)

Related posts:
On Ravelry
Announcing the Knit-In

Knit-In: Feb. 7 at Main St Art in Newfields, NH

If you're in the Seacoast of New Hampshire (USA) during the first week of February, there are two yarn-y events you might enjoy!

First, from Main Street Art in Newfields, NH:

Knit for a cause! Please join us at Main Street Art as we knit warm hats and mittens for the residents of New Horizons, a homeless shelter, soup kitchen and food pantry located in Manchester, New Hampshire.

When: Tuesday, February 7TH from 8AM -8PM

Where: Main Street Art

75 Main Street, Newfields, New Hampshire, USA

What: Patterns and yarn will be provided. (Optional-Bring your own yarn stash to share or trade.)

Bring: Your own knitting needles and nimble fingers! (Size 7 needles or whatever you like with worsted weight yarn)

On any given day in New Hampshire, there are 2,248 people who are homeless. -NH Coalition to End Homelessness

I plan to be there for part of the afternoon and hopefully evening. I have no idea if I can knit a hat in a day, but I'll try!!!! Let me know if you plan to be there too!!

Another local event of interest to knitters and weavers:
Fuzz Fest on Feb. 4 in Exeter, NH

I'll try to pop in there too!!! Last year there was some local angora yarn that was so gorgeous. It's still tempting me!!

Holiday Ornament Making

Swag

In late November, the Col. Paul Wentworth House hosts a holiday decoration workshop.

Victorian Garland on Cardboard Deer

I made all of these Christmas decorations in 2 hours at the workshop, using materials and instructions set up at the house.

Clementine Clove Pomander

It was a great way to kick off the holiday season!

Front of Col. Wentworth House (Photographed in July)

Wentworth House has a great story. My super short version is that it was built in 1710, then moved to Massachusetts where it stayed for years, falling into disrepair. In 2002, it was numbered, disassembled and moved back to NH on a flatbed truck. It remained in the trailer of the truck on this property for years, while a team of motivated people raised money to put the house back together. Finally they were able to reconstruct it. Very cool!

Back corner of Wentworth House (also in July)

This saltbox shape is traditional in New England.

Foil Ruching

This foil ruching would have been made during Victorian times, when candlelight reflecting off silvery surfaces was all the rage.

Cranberry wreath

Cranberries strung on a wire make a small wreath.

Popcorn Cranberry Garland

Wentworth House (Rollinsford, NH, USA) is having a free holiday open house with music and snacks Saturday, Dec. 10 from 4-6 pm. If you haven't had a chance to visit the house yet, you could stop by to see it decorated for the holidays!



Related posts:
Making the cardboard deer head

Potter for a Day

I had so much fun today!!

Jim, our friend D, and I took a "Learn to Throw in One Day" pottery class at Exeter Fine Crafts in Exeter, NH, USA, with Larry and Jessica of Fire Pond Pottery.

Even though Jim, D and I all learn in different ways, all of us loved the class and were really pleased with the whole day.

Our class had 6 students, 3 of whom had taken the class once before. I was so amazed at how much we were able to make and at HOW FUN the whole day was.


You can see my progression of 3 bowls in the center of this picture, and then my vase. The work right near mine is Jim's.

I also had a bowl attempt that collapsed, and at the end I tried to make two tiny bowls....both of which also didn't work. (One did that spectacular failure where all of a sudden it flies off the potter's wheel. Kind of fun really!)

The Fire Pond Potters will take our pieces and finish them up, including glazing and firing them. I'll show you pictures as soon as I get the pieces back. (It might not be until summer....but for once it won't be due to my blog laziness.....it will be waiting for their kiln to fill up.)


I cannot say enough good things about this class.

I loved how the teachers explained and demonstrated things just enough, and then turned us loose. They were right there to help if we were having trouble, or if we asked for help, but they also weren't jumping in telling people what they were doing wrong or anything like that.

They were totally great about asking if you wanted help and never touching your work or giving you advice unless you asked for it. (I love that.....I've been known to get quite annoyed in classes where a teacher is on top of my work too much!)

Also, they were very generous with information, and with setting up the day so that we all got to work on the wheels for hours.

If you're in the area and you've ever thought about trying pottery, this is a great way to give it a whirl. Low commitment, low cost, fun.

They've got another class scheduled for next Saturday, April 9. There may still be spaces left, so look for info at Exeter Fine Crafts. (I'd phone them ASAP about next Saturday.) I you want to be on Larry and Jessica's email list so they can notify you when they set up a class, you can contact them through their website.

Merrimack River Eagle Festival, Feb. 12, 2011 in Newburyport, MA

Each winter, bald eagles congregate in areas of New England where there's reliably open water on rivers.

The Merrimack River in Amesbury and Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA is a great place to watch bald eagles in February.


To make it even simpler, the Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge sponsor a free eagle festival. (If you google, you may find an eagle festival near you as well.)


Last year, we printed their eagle viewing map, and headed down for the day. We saw eagles perched in trees, doing aerial acrobatics together, and successfully fishing then eating the fish on an ice flow.


It's so helpful to have a group of people to help you spot the eagles, even though many eagles can be seen with the naked eye. Plus, you can ask other eagle watchers where they've seen eagles to know which viewing spots are best that day.


Definitely take binoculars and a spotting scope if you have them. Many people stop by without even binoculars, and people let them borrow a pair. Plus, the sponsoring groups usually have a few spotting scopes at each viewing stop.

There's plenty of space for photographers (although with this year's deep snow it might be a little tougher.)


The photos in this post were taken by Jim (Mr. LifeLoomsLarge) in February 2010 at the Merrimack River Eagle Festival.

For more info, visit the Audubon Society's webpage about the event.

Cool Upholstery

Perhaps I was a little too interested in the upholstery at Blue Moon Evolution in Exeter, NH when I had lunch there on Monday.

The Blue Moon Cafe has evolved into a restaurant open for lunch and dinner. The market is no more.



You can check it out yourself if you go to the Winter Fuzz Fest in Exeter on Saturday, January 29. (Unfortunately, I can't make it to the Fuzz Fest this time.)

Concord, Massachusetts

We visited Concord, MA on a cold but sunny day this week.




Snowbanks and icicles were among the wintry delights of Concord.


The excuse for our visit was the Quilts from the Concord Museum exhibit at the Concord Museum. The exhibit consisted of two rooms with quilts hanging on the walls. The quilts all tied into Concord history in one way or another.

For me, the two most memorable things were:

• The first crazy quilt I've ever seen that looked beautiful instead of like a mishmash.
• How modern some of the fabrics looked, even though they were part of quilts that were over 100 years old.

Unfortunately, photos were not permitted inside the museum, so I can't show you any of the quilts, or the fearsome icicles along the courtyard roof.

We had a great lunch afterward at the Colonial Inn.

A gazebo!!!

I definitely want to return to Concord in the summer. There are lots of historic houses, including Louisa May Alcott's, Nathaniel Hawthorne's, Ralph Waldo Emerson's....plus the Minute Man National Historic Park.

Merry Christmas

Wishing all of our friends and family a very Merry Christmas!!! (Yes, that definitely includes all of you blog friends!!!)



XXOO,
Sue, Jim & Bailey

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Weaving Events in New England

November offers plenty of exhibits, shows and sales throughout New England related to weaving.

Weavers' Guild of Boston Annual Exhibit and Sale, Weston, MA, Nov 4 - 7 2010

Fiber Festival of New England, Springfield, MA, Nov. 6-7, 2010

Focus on Fiber, Northfield, MA Nov 4 - 28, 2010
Exhibit features work of 7 weavers who recently studied at the Hill Institute

Hudson-Mohawk Weavers' Guild 32nd Annual Show & Sale, Newtonville, NY, Nov 18 - 21, 2010

Thread by Thread, Exhibit by Sarah Haskell, Topsham, Maine, Through Nov. 30, 2010

Winter Fuzz Fest, Jan. 29, 2011, Exeter Congregational Church, Exeter, NH

What else have you heard about?

Colors of October

Right down to the wire here.....that's how my life has been these last few months. No surprise really that my blog reflects that too.


Every month for the last year, I've taken photos outdoors of the natural colors surrounding me. Every month other bloggers join in and we share each others worlds that way.




This month is no different, except that it is the last month of the monthly colors challenge.




To join in, please post some of the colors that surround you on your blog, and then link to it here. If you can also link back to this post on your blog, even better!



Since it's the last month and I'm posting only days before month's end, the deadline this time is November 15.

I've really enjoyed this colorful challenge all year!!!! Thank you for participating!



These photos were taken on a hike at Blue Job Mountain, Strafford/Farmington, NH, on October 16.

Welcome October!!

Each month bloggers from around the world join in the Colors of the Month challenge.

September is a very busy time around here, but still, eleven people got their colors posted by the deadline. Thanks so much for joining in! I love seeing the world through your eyes each month!



1. Colors of September from the High Desert
2. September colors of Southeast Michigan
3. September colors in the southern Appalachia
4. Colors of Sept in NE Florida
5. Colors Below Sea Level at Coco Cay, Bahamas
6. Colours of Southern Ontario
7. Colours of Southern British Columbia
8. Colors of September in Northern Georgia
9. September Colours
10. Contrary Mary's colours of September from Derbyshire
11. Flying in on a wing and a prayer from the Pacific NW

I'm in a yarn buying mood this month (maybe that's always true), and some of the colors are definitely inspiring me as I look at color cards and select yarn.


See you later this month for what I hope are spectacular October colors!!

Related posts:
Colors of September
Colors of August
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

DPS: Bridges

This week's Digital Photography School assignment is "Bridges".

While I was in Portsmouth, NH, USA, I took photos of two bridges from Prescott Park.








Funny how my enthusiasm (or lack thereof) for a subject somehow gets reflected in my photography.

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!!