Meanderings of a Mermaid

The cardinals chased the chickadees away this morning; the feeder covered in frost and still in the crisp air. Like most mornings, I was typing away at my desk, gazing at the nature outside the window. Suddenly this horse walked up to the feeder and all the birds scattered! He walked around the corner of my house and towards a busy side road! I quickly threw on some shoes and a jacket, grabbed two carrots on BS's prompting, and found a newly purchased length of rope. The horse was munching the new grass in our back field, enjoying the smorgaasbord I'm sure. Although this horse knows me a little (lives right across the street now) he spooked as I walked up and went further down this busy road. He stopped at the neighbour's at another great clump of long grass. Carrot extended I got his attention and managed to slip a loop around his neck. He took it all very well, eager to chow down on the rest of the carrot in my hand. I started to walk him back to his home and ...

Incredible, wouldn't you say? These wild irises grow all over down by the water at camp.

Ta Da!! Here is the Minstrel Spinning Wheel, set up in my guest bedroom. Notice the chestnut quarter horse grazing in the first field and the sheep in the next pasture! Okay, so the glare didn't allow for that... behind the chair is a Schwinn exercise bike, so the room is now devoted to spinning round and round. I bought the wheel unfinished and then applied two coats of tung oil to protect it a bit. This wheel is virtually identical to the antique one I bought in April, which now happily inhabits my studio in the North. Now to the nitty gritty shots. Here is a close up of the flyer and my first "production". I can't call it yarn yet, it has to be plied and then I can knit with it. Two friends have given me Romney wool fleece to get me going and this is the product of what GM gave me. OK , so there are thick and thin bits... would you believe me if I said that's the effect I am going for? There is a presumption that I will get better as time goes on. We shall s...

Hello My Dear Friends; I hope to get to the point where communications from my northern hideout are much better; but for now I am south and finally have internet and phone and stuff hooked up. I have missed my random posts here and hope to fire it all up again. News? BS and I and the Furry Ones enjoyed a tremendous summer at the lake. It was hotter and drier than normal, but we learned to cope with that. We worked a lot outdoors, especially Mr and I got to start playing in the studio. Mr continued on with major landscaping works (the guy has muscles!) and also built a boat barn! Stay tuned for pictures. (I am on a netbook now that does not have my photo collection on it). In the studio I caressed and babied the antique spinning wheel and managed to create two balls of two ply wool. It will be saved for posterity and good chuckles down the road. Hopefully I will improve as a spinner. I continued on with my knitting design challenge and accomplished that by August: to devise and work ...

On the Wing. This is the name of the lace pattern from Vogue Stitchionary 5. Although it doesn't look it, right now this is a simple rectangle. The decent amount of reverse stockinette stitch background means the variegation in the yarn colour has a chance to show. My camera work here isn't the best. It is dawn and I'm in a dark room, using the flash. The colours are most definitely washed out. But you get the beginnings of an idea of where I am going with this. This panel will form the front or back of a summer tunic. I think I will run it up pretty much straight, no shaping. I am intrigued with making it a boat collar, therefore not disrupting the lace pattern. And I think it will drape nicely at the neck. Then I will knit up side panels in the same yarn I think, but a different pattern. And so waist shaping will probably be incorporated there. Sleeves I will determine as I approach the end and see how much yarn I have left over. It is Auracania Silk, (will get the tag n...

This one may show the front a little better. Sea Starz Shawl.

Ta Da!