LOST AT SEA....

That's kind of how the last few months have been going - just tossing back and forth with the waves, thinking you spot a bit of land ahead and paddling like mad only to discover you've still got a way to go - LOL. I've been meaning to surface and breath for a while but keep putting it off because I have just too much neat stuff to show you. So, I'm biting the bullet. Conquering the beast, so to speak. Jumping in head first - tackling all the stuff I've been holding off on posting thinking, "I can't blog today, I need more time so I can show them (insert name of billionty things I wanted to show you here) - here we go....

There was the annual fun at one of our favorite events, the Common Ground Fair. It was a great year - Saturday boasting gorgeous sunny weather and lots of interesting things to captivate the interest of just about everyone in the family. I, of course, headed straight over to the fleece tent. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking - she has a whole herd of sheep - what on earth does she go to the fleece tent for? Well, I do have my reasons. Hmmmm.....let me think....uh...well, it usually starts as a trek out of the booth to go to the 'ladies' room....which happens to be past the fleece tent so there's virtually NO WAY to avoid the tent other than walking around it on the outside and thereby never seeing the yummy stuffs inside. I mean, that would just be crazy! Also, it was that there was this seductive voice (which I later found was hidden in this bag of prize winning gorgeous buttery yummy crimpy beyond imagination and utterly luscious merino fleece) that just made me need to be there. I completely lost control and bought it right away. In my defense, did you notice that gorgeous clean crimpy goodness? Well, if you couldn't see it, let's move that pile of ribbons out of the way so you can really pet it's buttery sweetness with your eyes....see? You know you would have done it, too - LOL.

After that, there was much craziness about the farm and some shop stuff and some spinning and knitting and - oh - I can't believe I didn't tell you that I got to take an afternoon class at a LYS with LUCY NEATBY. Yeah! A class on trims and bobbles and little whats-its that you can put on your knitting to make it look just as crazy as you are. What a perfect concept for me, non? There was some colorwork and trims. This one is a poor student - totally unblocked and shoved into the bottom of my knitting back, which it didn't deserve but I will blame that on the cruel lack of coffee I'd had that day. We finished the class with many laughs and this little trick - holey knitting! I cannot tell you how tickled I get with holey knitting. I mean, it's got the batman and robin thing all over it and being a child of the 70's, I am totally willing to giggle about that alone. Then, it's got the whole 'conquering conformity and fear and freeing your inner rebel' aspect to it. You know, what do you learn to fear above all else when you first learn to knit? Those darned holes that just seem to be determined to pop up in your first sweater in a very unflattering spot, or in the hat you made that keeps you warm except for that one tiny hole over your ear that lets a draft through and makes you crazy. Or, gasp, the sock that has so many of your lovely stitches poured into it only to have a silly hole in the gusset or something. Oh, woe! Do we learn to shiver at the mention of holes. Lucy, as you may well already know, it all about breaking up the fear monster and letting the knitting happen in spite of the conventional wisdom that says, 'this is the way it's done'. Holey knitting, I think I totally like it!

I'm sure I'm leaving too many things out but that is what happens when you put something off thinking you'll do it better if you wait until the 'perfect' moment to do it just right. Boy, oh boy am I hearing that message loud and clear in my world right now - how about you? There has been some knitting, though. I finished this lovely little shawl last week. It's a simple garter stitch heart shaped shawl - my own creation and a totally 'organic' knit meaning I was too lazy to write down the recipe so - sighs - I guess I'll have to make it again:) It's so hard to be me.... The garter stitch section is from my handspun gypsy batts and the lacey bottom is from handspun roving in the Marie Laveau colorway. It was a beautiful shawl and I loved it much but it came off the needles in curious coincidence with a time that was utterly painful and devastating in someone else's life so I took that as a sign that they were really made for each other. I'm hoping it's bringing her some comfort through the storms.

So, how have you been?