Sheep Musings

Can anyone really be enraptured with yarn and wool and knitting and spinning and carding and all the various aspects of this avocation .... and not have the passing thought that maybe one should acquire a sheep of one's own someday? The idea popped into my head again as I was reading The Tale of Hawthorn House by Susan Wittig Albert. It's the fourth book in the cozy mystery Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series. And it's for grown-ups.

Beatrix, of course, is much admired by me and generations of other Peter Rabbit fans for her lovely artwork. This series focuses on her life upon her move to Hill Top Farm in the beautiful Lake District of England. She is still writing and illustrating her little books, but she has become very serious about preserving farms as well as the native Herdwick sheep.

Herdwick wool is best for rug weaving and insulation, being a bit scratchy, though the author provides this hat she made of Herdwick yarn and states that it's as waterproof as an umbrella. Nice-looking, isn't it? At any rate, the book has me thinking of what heirloom sheep I would acquire, if I got one, which of course I won't..... still we can think about it, can't we? One never knows what life will bring. I doubt that Beatrix Potter would have imagined the astounding impact her life and writings would have on future generations. It's quite a fascinating story in itself.

To learn more, check my Blog Book Tours site for an interview with the author. You'll find links to the other blog stops, each more fascinating than the next.

DAL

That stands for Designalong, and Donna Druchunas just announced she's having one after the holidays. It's based on her knew book, Ethnic Knitting Discovery, so get your hands on a copy. We'll be designing our own sweaters using her tips, and she'll be coaching us along. You can sign up at the Ethnic Knits yahoo group for more information, or just stay tuned here and I'll give an update as soon as I know more. I'm in though!

Maybe this sweater with some modifications? I've certainly got enough wool in my stash to work with, and I'm thinking I'll try my art project using a least favorite color, the most favorite, and black. Maybe I can redeem that hideous yellow I found.

Coveting lace

I spent a little time going through pattern books looking for fast holiday gifts. I'm always drawn to lace, and wish I could see and count well enough to crank out a nice shawl or scarf. Like the ones in Victorian Lace Today. So Old Buddy, here in his favorite pose, kept me company while I drooled over the pictures and patterns, and then cast aside any crazy ideas of casting on. He just drooled all over my wool scarf, perfectly content to let me have my little fantasies. He's a grand old cat, Buddy is.

More than luxury

So here's another cedar chest and it's contents. It included at least 30 balls of sock yarn. My total inventory of full skeins was over 300. That didn't include any cotton which amounted to maybe two dozen skeins. Then there're about ten pounds of leftovers, I'd guess enough for at least 30 of those aforementioned tea cozies. The inventory of the roving is not included in any of this.

I thought about the Monthly Selection at the Women Writing the West reading group, about a German pioneer in Oregon territory whose clothing is becoming threadbare, and who is learning to pound cedar bark into useable material. You might say I feel just a little bit chagrined by my bounty and her lack. The story even references a quote that very much hits home. To think I coveted all that yarn at Green Valley Weavers just a few days ago!

Next post will discuss what I can de-accession.

Contentment is natural wealth; luxury, artificial poverty. ~ Socrates

Another book comment

I've had every book I can find out of the library about spinning. I have to tell you that my favorite so far is Teach Yourself Visually - Handspinning by Judith MacKenzie McCuin. I'm so impressed, I think I'll take a peek at the Knitting book just to look at their hand exercises.

I won't buy either book. I'm becoming more and more concerned about the environmental impact of all the glossy photos, and though I like to support the arts & crafts as well as artists and writers, I'm trying to add to my own collection books that meet my standards. I can't always, but I can try to minimize the number of books I buy that fall into the questionable category. Sometimes that means passing up a lush book simply because I already have too many that were printed in China and took thousands of miles of non-renewable energy to land on my shelf. It ain't easy, but every little bit makes a difference and you have to walk your talk, even if it's little steps. So to the library it is when I need to take a second peek at this one. Ask your library to get a copy, too.

A new knitting book

I've just updated my Blog Book Tours site and placed some information about Donna Druchunas and her new knitting book, Ethnic Knitting: Discovery. I'll be interviewing Donna on October 18th so stay tuned! I've started a couple of projects from the book - my own designs using Donna's clever charts and tips - and am first creating some two-color ankle warmers that I'll display here. I hope. :) Until then, you can read all the blog interviews during her tour by checking out the schedule on her website, Sheep to Shawl. She has a great blog of her own there, too, so bookmark it as a favorite.

I cannot live without books

So said Thomas Jefferson and I'm inclined to agree. I love knitting books as much as any other. Recently I picked up Knitting Tips & Trade Secrets Expanded, a collection of 340 tips from regular knitters and crocheters as well as top experts published by Taunton Press.

The illustrations are very clear, like this one for intarsia socks. Now there's something new to try!

And it also had a picture and "recipe" for those cute stay-on baby booties we've been talking about at Socknitters Forum.

Books, glorious books. Can any of us keep up with all the new knitting books? This is a title that's definitely being added to my personal library.