Meanderings of a Mermaid

It's time to give thanks for everything and everyone in my life. I don't take anything for granted. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! In Canada we already celebrated the turkey feast twice: once with neighbours and once alone with all the fixings that had been purchased before we had been invited over to their place.  Now in the US, we will contribute some fresh baked pan rolls and head over to friends for the big feast. I am so thankful for all the friends we have here and there!  Why are you seeing this Tuff Shed image? Well Mr offered me 2/3 of the space inside this beautiful shed, so that I can spread out the crafting studio and truly take over the world. He has offered it before, but now that he is selling his giant motorcycle, there will actually be room in there. So today, if I get the chance, I will start to clear out some of the things and store them in another shed. The shed is very nicely finished out and has two windows that open and the ...

Basically what it boils down to is this. I am very thankful for the most wonderful man in my life, Mr,...otherwise known as BS. BS has enthusiastically taken on two new and widely different lifestyles to be with me. No matter where I drag him, it is usually cold and yet he comes, unflinchingly. I try to keep him warm with hand knits, and teaching him how to layer his clothing properly. I feed and water him routinely, trying to keep him a little larded up against the chill. I am thankful for his good sense of humour and willingness to do all these new things. He's one heckuva guy! He supports me through all the hobbies and schemes I have going. I love him dearly.

 Soon I will be locking up the studio, which is the space upstairs. Imagine the staircase and deck all in a pale silver  stain. I did that this summer. And also imagine all the ground around the studio white. Yup, there is snow on the ground and that means it is time to get out. The road we live on is not plowed, and before any significant amount accumulates, we need to scram out of here. I always miss my studio a lot. This will be my sixth winter spent in the south, Texas to be more precise. I miss the open and flexible floor space I have in the studio. I miss the feeling of being in a treehouse. I miss seeing the lake when I sit on the deck, spinning. I brought a loom from the US that is on wheels, with the intention of wheeling it out on the deck too, but I did not get a chance to try that out.   I also miss all my books. Most of all I miss the tranquility and beauty of the boreal forest and the lake. To have this inspirational setting all around me is wonderf...

Today we lost our beloved female Norwegian Elkhound. A sudden lameness and possibly a tumour in her leg made it very hard for her to get around. Sigi was a fabulous dog and we enjoyed sharing our lives together for nearly thirteen years. Farewell old girl!

   This would be the brash Blue Jay. We normally have around nine at the feeder these days. They generally fight each other for the prime position on the feeder. The losers are left to feed off the ground. Not a bad situation, really.  And this is the Camp Robber! A gray jay, formerly known as the Canada Jay; but my favourite name for it is the Whiskyjack, after my preferred beverage. It's called the Camp Robber because this gregarious, friendly bird will easily come to feed from your hand or snatch things from inside your tent or cabin. A robber disguised as a sweet little thing! We seem to have three of them mooching around the place right now.   And because I can't resist a little environmental destruction, yesterday I created a new trail in the bush. The autumn leaves are still falling and making for lovely scenes on Turtle Bay. The new trail meanders along the shoreline. In the spring parts of the trail will surely be under...

Hello Dear Friends! I find this time of year so refreshing and creative. I love the cooler weather and the way the land is revealed to me, as the leaves come down. First I want to brag about what my better half has been up to. We had a great day recently with all types of weather coming to visit. That's the day we installed the big wooden frame to the south side of the brand new shed. It can hold 4 panels just as it is, although for now we are installing just two. As you can see from the first shot, the panels are up. Here is the wider view. of course the scaffolding and ladders are now removed. As I post this news, Mr is wiring up the innards of the system and I hope today we have blinking lights all over the equipment! And on to things I know more about.....KNITTING. When a dear friend said she was moving in to a new home, I wanted to celebrate the event with a little housewarming gift. She thought about it for awhile and suggested cushions in light blue. She al...

  First the really BIG NEWS . I have registered a company in the name of Mermaid Knits . Is this my second career? We shall see how it goes. With more and more invitations to teach knitting and other fibre arts, I decided to formalize the work aspect. I've learned about the requirements for claiming US income on my Canadian tax form. I am about to learn about developing a web site. It's all very exciting for me. Wish me luck! And now on to current projects. The four balls of yarn here I spun up as energized singles. Two balls have Z twist and two balls have S twist. I deliberately spun them with a high degree of twist. It is quite unruly yarn. (wool and silk). I found this pattern in my favourite pattern source, Walker's Second Treasury. Here it is called the Lace Ribbon Stitch. I know it is called Ric Rac Stitch in another book I have. It is a lovely pattern and with a strong vertical element that I was looking for. Now here's what I'm doing. I am knitting...