happy halloween

I have been remiss at both posting and checking in on my favorite blogs.

Work has been near unbearable the past two weeks and I am exhausted,

but the next three days belong just to me so I plan to catch up on my real life!

For now it's a quick dinner then early to bed.

xo, j

first frost

ice on the windshield

All week I've been waking up early to go into work.

This morning I was greeted by the first frost of the year.

It took some digging through my car trunk to find the scraper!

Nestled in the oak and dogwood leaves is my latest knitting project 

along with some pumpkin seeds I roasted last night.

The fingerless gloves are knit with a qiviut/merino blend.

(My treat from last year's trip to Rhinebeck)

They're very light and yet cozy warm, perfect for the cold weather,

and I love the mushroomy color.

The seeds were roasted with olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper and a pinch of sugar.

A spicy sweet snack, they taste almost like popcorn.

Thanks to all who left such nice comments on my Rhinebeck posts.

It's lovely to be able to share it with all of you.

xo, j

Rhinebeck-Part Two-The Sheep and Goats

Here is my last set of photos from Rhinebeck 2013.

As I mentioned yesterday, this year we spent more time 

wandering through the livestock area than in previous years.

I love the warm smell of the animals and the hay.

Although I'm partial to the goats, the ewe in the fifth photo

stole my heart with her large, expressive eyes.

Such beautiful faces.

***

Now there are hanks of yarn to roll up

and new projects to start...

This work week is going to be very hectic

but I'll try to fit in a blog post or two.

Thanks for letting me share my trip.

xo, j

Rhinebeck-Part One-The Yarn

hudson river

my plunder

Another year at Rhinebeck is behind me now.

My dear friend, who was exhausted from a road trip the previous day,

made a valiant effort and joined me for the six hour shopping event.

The first vendor we visited had the beautiful naturally

 dyed yarns shown in the first three photos.

We saw those amazing heather colors and were sold.

Each year the festival seems more crowed than the last.

Many attendees wear their favorite knitting project from the previous year

and the men are prone to wearing kilts (sorry no photos of them!)

This year we bought yarn with specific projects in mind 

 resisting the temptation of buying a skein of this and a skein of that.

I bought wool, cashmere and a treasured ball of pure Alaskan Qiviut!

(The deeper plum ball hidden under my new nostepinne in the photo above)

We also picked up a few books, tools and a bag of herbal moth repellant.

Next year I will definitely remember to bring my lunch

as I spent forty-five minutes in line for a cold hot dog!

Thanks, again, to my dearest Hafvalla for a wonderful day.
And thanks to Cindy from Conversational Threads for organizing the bus trip.

Tomorrow, the sheep!

xo, j

two moons

I often water my plants in the evening allowing them regenerative

 time without the danger of damp leaves burning in the sun.

Last night while performing this task I popped out the window screen and tried to

 take a few photos of the waxing moon as it cleared the bare tree branches.

Obviously, the moon was reflecting off my lens and casting a ghost image of itself.

Rather than try and correct it I had fun moving it around the composition.

Only a few more days until the New York Sheep and Wool Festival!

Now it's off to another long day at work.

black bears and apple sauce

It was another beautiful autumnal weekend.

Saturday I sorted through a dresser and a closet

and then knit the bear hood in the evening.

It was made under the pretense of being a Halloween costume

but I can't wait to wear it while walking through the woods on a snowy day

or sitting with a cup of cider by a blazing camp fire.

Of course, I had to take my latest knitting project for a walk!

The paper bag bear was kind enough to pose with my new hood.

Then home for a snack of fresh apple sauce and a cuppa 

delicious fruity tea from the beautiful Coco.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

xo, j

(ps. Sophie's eyes get huge and her back arches when I wear the hood in the house!)

wednesday morning

It has finally turned cooler and the sun is much later to rise.

Puttering around before going into work.

The lace scarf I'm working is a lovely pattern of leaves

knit in a dusty shade of plum merino wool.

Dearest V once told me she thinks of leaves when she thinks of me.

I can't think of any sweeter than to be associated with leaves.

xo, j

pumpkin patch

Saturday I went to my favorite orchard with the intention 

of picking apples, but it was so crowded I bought some in the 

farm shop and made for the pumpkin patch further down the road.

The three beautiful Clydesdales pulled a wagon 

full of hay and visitors around 'None Such Farm.'

I loved the jingling of their harness and the thunder

of their hooves as they trotted along side the fields.

Three pumpkins found their way home with me.

(one orange, one white and the variegated one shown)

Soon I'll be carving their faces and roasting the seeds.

The grey wrap is my latest weaving project.

(Again, I'm found out in the park dressing trees!)

A young man and his dog couldn't help but stare

as I smiled and wished them a good day.

It's back to work tomorrow....but I've had a wonderful week

spent outdoors and surrounded by yarn.

xo, j

walking and weaving

Well, my week of cleaning closets has gone out the window.

Instead I dusted off my 36" rigid heddle loom and started weaving again.

Two days later I have a completed black scarf and another half way done.

This morning I took a short break from the loom and 

went for a walk on the meadow trail at Jacobsburg State Park.

The colors are really starting to change and I was surprised to see all the pink.

It's very warm here with loads of bright sun, unusual for October.

I stuffed all my recent projects in a backpack and took them on my walk.

They photograph so much better outside.

Thankfully, no one saw me tying a scarf around the walnut tree!

The park was full of migrating songbirds and the random thump of falling walnuts.

Such a pretty day...

Now a bowl of soup and a bit more weaving before bed.

xo, j