Dye Pot

This may not (and honestly doesn’t) look like much, but it’s my first foray into natural dyeing. Inspired my a book I received for Christmas last year, and Buckaloo Veiws blog, I went on a gathering spree through my mom’s gardens. I found Black eyed Susan’s and Marigolds and decided they were an easy place to start. The fiber is one of my first handspun skeins and is cotswald that was given to me to practice on by the hugely generous lady who taught me to spin. The hardest part is waiting for it all to seep. I think I’m going to let it sit overnight before washing it out. I was really surprised that it turned green, I was expecting an orange. Next time I’ll pluck the petals and just use those.

Now I have my eye on the poke berry bushes out back.

Simple Things

Anne had said to Marilla once, “I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”
L.M. Montgomery

Both knitting and reading are some of my most treasured simple pleasures, and they combine to something even greater, keeping my hands and mind happily occupied. I’ve been reading along with Ginny’s Yarn Along for a while and now am happily joining.

I’m knitting along on my sourpatch dress, and the end is in sight.
I tend to do most of my for fun reading on my kindle because I don’t have to worry about having a free hand to hold the book or turn the pages, plus I can easily tuck it into my knitting bag and take it along. Right now I’m working my way through Robin Hobbs books, and I’m loving them.

Beach Queue

I carefully narrowed my to knit list down to just two projects to bring with me on our family beach trip. One to save to cast on on the drive, when I could try something a little more complicated, knowing the toddler questions would be stalled by new crayons, a DVD player, and Winnie the Pooh, at least for a little while. I would also need a project of utmost simplicity, easy to put down, and not in danger of being hurt by water.

I have fallen for Melodys beautiful blog and her blom shawl called to me. I didn’t have the yarn for it, but I did have a featherweight sweater that was really too soft to be a sweater. So last week, I took a deep breath, grabbed my swift and scissors, with a cup of tea for comfort and an episode or two of MASH for distraction, I set to making the two meet.

The other project is the sour patch dress for Shannon that I’ve been chugging along on. Simple and satisfying. I’m almost to the bottom stripes and still deciding if I want to ruffle them or not.

My ravelry notes for blom and sourpatch

Beginning

All great beginnings start in the dark, when the moon greets you to a new day at midnight.”

― Shannon L. Alder

I can’t seem to find the words to start this space. The desire is there, the urge to write, to share my story, as small as it is, burns within me. But I struggled to find the words to start. But surrounded by the sounds of the beach, the quiet of the night, this quote found me, and seemed to finally be a start.