What's New This Week

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Providence, Rhode Island, attending our god-daughter's graduation from Brown University.  (No, we did not see Emma Watson and her armed bodyguard.)  We loved seeing Natalie in her cap and gown, and loved meeting her diverse group of friends.

Nat in front of the Van Wickle Gates

Providence is a fabulous little city, with great restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries.  I can recommend Farmstead for dinner, although the science lab chairs are not so comfortable, the Coffee Exchange for particularly good coffee, and Seven Stars for some of the best bread ever.  We're going to have to find a new reason to visit Providence when she moves away for medical school.  Congratulations, Natalie!

I am trying to get back to work, but our friends at Widows Hole Oysters are being harassed by our rather inept village board and a neighbor who's a bully and needed support at a public hearing, and now my beloved Cairo is sick with some unknown problem with his pancreas.  So all sorts of issues are swirling around in my head and I am having a difficult time focusing.  I did get a bunch of wool dyed today, but I have not made progress on my special order which really needs to get finished and mailed.  The good news is that my daughter is coming home for the 4th of July with her boyfriend.  Since I don't have any shows for July and August, I may just take the whole month of July off.  I'm picturing a hammock in a shady spot, a frosty glass of lemonade, a good book, and me.

What's on My Frame Today

Several years ago I designed a small mat of a fox terrier and surrounded it with a free form-border using some of my sister Barb's deliciously colorful wool.  I called it Fleur the Fox Terrier and it is one of my best selling patterns.  I always intended to make a series of dog rugs using this border -- indeed, I have a  pattern called Archie the Artful Dachsund.  I just never got around to hooking it.  

Recently I received an etsy conversation from someone in Arizona asking if I could hook a version of the mat featuring a Welsh Terrier and turn it into a pillow for her.  So this is Lovely Lulu the Welsh Terrier.  I'll have the pattern available shortly, along with Terrible Teddy the French Bulldog (he belongs to friends of ours and is always escaping from their yard.  He's actually really sweet, but I like the alliteration.) 

We have lots of festivities planned for this first weekend of the summer.  I'm hoping the rain will clear out for the next three days or so . . .   Enjoy your holiday!

Scenes from the Long Island Fleece and Fiber Fair

I tried posting from my smart phone on Saturday, but apparently it isn't smart enough!  Of course, it could have been me who wasn't so smart . . .  but we won't go there!  Here are some photographs of the weekend, which was beautiful and breezy and full of fiber.

Our Booth in the Naugles Barn

Our Wall of Wool

One of Barb's Bunnies

Barb's Hen on an Egg Pincushion

Sweet Sheep Pin by Barb/thimblefolk

Setting Up Saturday Morning

Taj Mahal Farm Fleece

Long Island Livestock Booth

Baskets by Barbara Blossey-Chuvalas

After Shearing

Angora Goat

Peconic Ruggers Setting Up

Mama and Baby Piggies

Cherry Blossom Time

The first week of May is spectacular around here -- we have our own little cherry blossom festival.  The street is lined with these trees and they just glow against the sky -- whether its blue -- like it was yesterday -- or gray and rainy like today.  In a few days the wind will lift the blossoms from the trees and we'll walk in swirls of pink snow.  Love it.

When I'm not out enjoying the spring flowers, I'm in the dye kitchen elbow deep in wool.  The colors just keep piling up.  I'm preparing for the Long Island Fleece and Fiber Fair to be held at Hallockville Museum Farm on May 17 & 18.  Barb and I have a booth in the barn.  It is always fun, so please come and see us!  If you are taking the bus from NYC, I've donated boxes of note cards to the goody bags they'll be giving out.

Dye Day and My Darling Daughter

I've been doing some dyeing, getting ready for the Long Island Fleece and Fiber Fair coming up in a couple of weeks.  I was inspired but the colors in the yard.  The daffodils are on the wane now, but the cherry trees that line our street are about to burst, as are my white lilacs.  The violets are out, the trillium are nodding their heavy heads, and the dandelions are everywhere!  So nice to see all this color after the long grey winter we had.

My daughter flew in on a red eye Friday.  She's spending a couple of days with us before a business meeting in Westchester tomorrow.  Its so nice to have her here.  No work for me today!  I'm going to enjoy her company while I have it.