Summer, Summer, Go AWAY!

I know I will probably regret feeling this way in January or February when it's cold, snowy, and icy or all three but I'm going to say it anyway. I hate summer and I want it to be gone. Our house is comfortable and I've been hiding out in it since Springtime, when it first got hot and the humidity passed 50%. The folks on TV love to go on about records but this one didn't surprise me: Summer 2010 in the northeast U.S., was the hottest since 1871, when official meteorological record keeping commenced. I had a bad feeling about it when the temperatures at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival--always the first weekend in May--was 98 degrees. And, as for that argument about the Humidity VS. Heat, I just don't go there. I think they both suck.

Outer Banks retreat

A few weeks ago we had a phone call from my sister-in-law. A friend had offered her the use of a beach cottage in the Outer Banks and, in turn, she invited Paul and I to join her and her husband there. It was such a delicious surprise! Within 48 hours, I had bought a new bathing suit, Jack was sent to the doggie hotel and we were on our way. For five days, the weather was perfect. The four of us spent our time hanging out at the beach, reading, eating simple meals (most specifically, barbecue from a local landmark carry-out) and just visiting. It was so simple, so relaxing and probably one of the best vacations of my life. Ann and Ossie: Thanks for the memories!

Cousins' Update

Here are a few shots of our darling granddaughter and her adorable cousin. I was reading to Cora--we were discussing the gentle art of accessorizing--and Lilly came onto the scene with her mom holding her as she practiced a few steps. Clearly, Cora did not appreciate that I was no longer focused on the magazine.

108 Sun Salutations

June 22, 2010

This week, the local chapter of Yoga For Good hosted an event at a nearby college to support the Wounded Warrior Project. It was called, "108 Sun Salutations" and that's just what it was--yoginis gathered together to perform the yoga pose, or asana, called "Sun Salutation" to celebrate the Summer Solstice. Even after eight years of yoga classes, I had to ask, "Why One Hundred, Eight?" (Why not 14 or 23 or even 1?) The answer is that in yoga, 108 is a significant or sacred number. Someone who has studied Indian philosophy may be able to supply a reason, but I can't. It just is.

In preparation for the event, our weekly yoga class had been concentrating on the study of this basic yoga pose for several weeks, so our beloved yoga teacher, Phyllis, and several fellow students attended the early evening session as a group. It was held in the beautiful dance studio at Washington College and when things got going, the room was filled nearly to capacity with approximately 75 yoginis. The hostess explained the rules as an introduction: Do what you can, rest when you need to, leave when you want and ENJOY. As we all went through our postures, a small group of musicians, a drummer, guitarist, and flutist, improvised a lovely musical soundtrack for the movements. When I found it necessary to take a break, I sat watching the others. The variations within the synchonicity was very interesting. Some were doing very smooth, mediatative sequences, others were more athletic in their motions. I noticed three friends doing their poses together and their dancelike movements reminded me of a ballet.





Afterwards, we enjoyed a light buffet of hummus, homemade pesto, veggies and fresh bread. Paul and I had attended primarily to support the yoga community and its charitable efforts, not knowing what to expect but we agreed that it was really fun and interesting. Summertime in Maryland is not my favorite season but I'm hoping to celebrate its start next year in exactly the same way.

2x2 In the Green mountains

June is not my favorite time to live in the state of Maryland, but this year, it was worse than ever. The 90+ degree heat and high humidity started during the first week of May and continued without significant change. So, we were glad to escape to the mountains of New England to attend a regional motorcycle rally at Mt. Snow, VT.

Ordinarily, we do a trip like this one--eight to ten hours--in one day but this time, we had the opportunity to stop midway in Cornwall, NY, to visit with Paul's cousin and her husband. After four hours on the freeway, riding in full gear in the summer heat, their house (top photo) was sweet relief. If they had only offered us cold water and a chance to shed our jackets, helmets and long pants, we'd have been more than happy. Instead, they cooked us a delicious salad and fish dinner, let us sleep in their guest room, and, as they both left for work in the morning, invited us back on the return trip. It was wonderful!

By noon the next morning, we were in Vermont. The mountain air, clean and dry, felt like springtime. We even had a "spring" shower during the last hour of the trip. We were so close to Mt. Snow that we didn't bother with rain gear, so we arrived at the hotel soaked to the skin. Nevertheless, it was an extremely pleasant ride. Over the next four days, we rode hundreds of miles, enjoying the mountain scenery and charming New England towns. Some of the highlights were a visit to the King Arthur Flour Company--great bakery snacks and an incredible store--in Norwich, VT, a stop at the famous Vermont Country Store, and the chance to hang out with some friends that we only see on these trips. We also enjoyed sleeping in a real Murphy bed at the Mt. Snow Lodge. (I've since learned that President and Mrs. Carter have one in their offices at the Carter Library.) Next year, the national rally for the group will be held in the same place and we agreed that we will reserve one of the Murphy bed rooms.





Here's a shot of Cousin K's front steps and one of Paul napping at the "Iron Butt Motel" (aka: NY Freeway Rest Area).

Luncheon

If you've ever been in the Annapolis Barnes & Noble on a Thursday afternoon, you'll probably notice that there's another layer of noise emanating from the the cafe area. You might even think it sounds like a party because there always seems to be a lot of laughing. Investigate more closely and you'll discover that it's a conclave of knitters.

I've witnessed this gathering a few times and have always lurked at the edges, somewhat timid about breaking into what was obviously a tightly knit group. Once, I ventured closer to ask a question--something about short rows--and I was amazed at how many of them jumped to offer assistance. I was also impressed with the diversity of projects they were all working on: lacey shawls, sweaters and even a sock or two.

Because I was working full-time, I was never able to join them but this week I had an opportunity to do just that. One of the ladies who attends my monthly spinning groupinvited the spinners to a potluck hosted by the B&N group. It was such fun!

"Show and tell" was inspiring--again, lots of different kinds of projects--and I was struck by the quality of the questions and discussion each item received. It was obvious that the group was fueled by a high level of support and they were really interested in more than the knitting. It was as if the knitting had served as a starting point, maybe a bridge, to deeper relationships. And yet, despite the closeness of the group, they were very inclusive and welcoming of those of us who were visitors. I felt comfortable and eager to visit again.

This is Sam modeling her "Matador Cardi".




Kasey was not up to knitting on this day.

Finished BSJ

Here's a photo of one of the finished Baby Surprise Jackets that I've knitted lately, using some leftover wool from one of my own sweaters. I'm hoping that it will fit Lilly this winter.

Baby Surprise Jacket

Elizabeth Zimmerman was a British lady who, during the 1970's published a number of books and even had her own cable show about knitting. One of the things for which she is best known is a pattern called, the Baby Surprise Jacket. The story goes that one of EZ's children tossed a knitted jacket onto a chair and when she looked at it, she realized that she could knit a sweater without side seams, using increases and decreases to give it shape. I call it the "Origami Sweater" because, when it's finished, it looks nothing at all like a sweater. In fact, when I completed the knitting, I gave the piece to every knitter and sewer I knew--no one could fold the knitted fabric in such a way as to make a sweater shape. It's totally counter-intuitive. Here's a photo of one that is 1/3 complete. It doesn't look anything like a sweater, does it?



Here's the same thing, folded to create sleeves.



Now, here's a completed sweater, sewn at the shoulders and with a collar knitted on.
This one is knitted in two solid colorways to make stripes. The increases and decreases create the pattern.



Now, what small person can I give these sweaters to?

Centreville Happening

Saturday was a big day in Centreville. We had our regular farmers' market



and also a number of other craftsmen and artists, who were taking part in an annual street fair put on by the local arts council. A local rescue group brought several adoptable kittens and a young hound named, Maurice, who almost stole my heart. He had the sweetest "voice."













And, since it was also Worldwide Knit in Public Day, the Wild Woolly Women were there to give a public face to knitting and spinning. Next year, I want a "Queen Bee" chair like Rachel!!

Daddy Makeover

Like father, like daughter. Lilly must like Dad's copycat hairstyle.

My New Favorite Sammie

Here's something that I put together for a quick lunch recently. I took some of those round sandwich breads and toasted them lightly. (Warning: if you separate the halves and toast them individually, they get really crispy--it's like eating a sandwich made of old 45's. Instead, pop both halves into one slot of the toaster and the inside stays nice and soft. I learned this trick from Paul's mom.) Spread each half with a light layer of hummus and a bit of fresh, chopped basil. YUMMO!

Handspun, Handknit Socks

One of my spinning goals--probably the most commonly held goal for beginning spinners--is to be able to spin "skinny" yarn. When you start wheel spinning, the job of coordinating the movements of the hands and feet is so difficult that it's all you can do to even hold on to the wool as it goes through the fingers. The task of controlling the tension on the fiber and adjusting the wheel, takes practice. In my case, it took a lesson at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival with one of the "rock stars" of the spinning world, Judith MacKenzie.

Since then, I have been working with my little Pocket Wheel to perfect this skill and finally, I've produced enough 3 ply yarn (about 400 yards) to knit a pair of simple socks. The yarn is a little thicker than yarn that I usually purchase, so the socks are bulkier than others that I've made. Nevertheless, they will work fine with my stretched out clogs and I'm really pleased with them. Now, all I have to do is to survive another summer in Maryland so that I can wear them!

Annapolis Spins in Public

This month, the Annapolis spinning group spent the day spinning outside on the lawn of the library in Severna Park. The temperature was in the upper 90's with humidity to match, but the trees offered solid shade and an occasional breeze kept us comfortable until mid-afternoon. We spent the day visiting with each other and answering questions from the library patrons as they passed. Most people, unfamiliar with fiberarts, just want to know what we're doing but typically, the men seem interested in how the wheels work and the women want to know what we're going to do with the "string." My favorite was the lady who shared that, as a child she'd wanted a toy spinning wheel but never got it because her parents were afraid that she'd break it. Since then, she has always had a curiousity about spinning but never had an opportunity to try it. We promised that, if she returned for another meeting, we would give her a shot at it.




Here are two photos of a wheel that one of the members has embellished with a woodburned mandala design. It's even more amazing in person.

Cutie Patootie

Here's a current photo of our littlest girl. Her mom took her to a music festival where she was one of the star attractions. Looking at that little face makes me understand why my parents were so crazy about my own children. It's a good thing.

Upper Valley Fiber Festival

While in Ohio, I drove to Troy, about 20 minutes north of Dayton to attend the Upper Valley Fiber Festival being held on the same weekend. While the show was a small one--about 40 vendors--but I found the quality of the vendors to be excellent. There were a number of wool felting artists present--more than I think I see around my local shows--and I especially enjoyed the work of Morning View Farms. Their wool "paintings" were extraordinary.




I also visited the Paper Alice booth where Alison (aka. Paper Alice) demonstrated the art of papermaking, using a blender, a mold, and a handful of shredded junk mail. In just a few minutes, we watched as she created beautiful papers--the kind I've often purchased in art stores--using a McDonald's bag, a pinch of grass, some parsley, and a fresh dandelion. Her stall was filled with wonderful handmade books, notes and cards that she'd constructed using exactly what she was making there in front of us. It left me anxious to go home and try it out myself, especially since I just happened to have an unused paper mold at home with my rubber stamp collection!


The very best part of the show was that I got the chance to spend the day with one of my favorite people, Robin H., whom I originally met when I attended her rug hooking camps in Virginia. She and her husband recently relocated to Ohio and, when I discovered this fact, we immediately made plans to get together. Robin is one of those people who make you feel comfortable the minute you meet her and, even though we haven't seen each other for 4 or 5 years, it was like we'd been together last week. Robin brought along a new friend, Sue, a beginning spinner and the two of us had a terrific time "enabling" her.

To Dayton and Back

Every year, amateur radio operators from all over the world converge on Dayton, Ohio, for the Hamvention. The weekend is filled with seminars, a massive trade show and flea market, and other gatherings, all dedicated to ham radio. Paul has attended several times in the past and this year, I decided to accompany him. We stayed in Fairborn, with the QRP Association, a group hams whose special interest is low power radio operations.

Since amateur radio is primarily a male dominated activity, the wives--or XYL's, in ham lingo--in QRP took over one of the conference rooms in the hotel and, while the guys attended seminars and traveled to Dayton for the show, we did our own thing. Several ladies brought sewing machines and worked on quilt projects, others did needlework, knitted, and crocheted. I took my little spinning wheel and spent most of my time spinning yarn for a baby sweater.


Throughout, the hotel took good care of us by providing plenty of coffee, tea, and cookies. On the second day, the president of the organization sent the ladies a platter of chocolate covered strawberries from Shari's Berries. The berries were the size of a golf ball and each one was covered with a different kind of chocolate--one was coated in white chocolate with coconut, another was dark chocolate with mini chips, others sported both bittersweet and milk chocolate or nuts. It was a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds. I took a picture of them but unfortunately, they weren't as photogenic as they were delicious. There are plenty of good photos on the website.

Truthfully, if I'd have known I'd have such a good time at the world's largest hamfest, it wouldn't have taken me so long to get there! Now I can't wait til next May.