Tricia Guild Strikes Again

I have long been a fan of Tricia Guild, the owner of Designer’s Guild in London. When I visit London, her store on King’s Road is a must-stop. The colors, the patterns, the merchandise is all so beautiful. The physical space of the store is gorgeously designed too. There’s even a fun café in the basement.

Since it takes me a few planes and at least $1000 to get to King’s Road, I have resorted to living vicariously through Tricia Guild’s books. It seems there is a new one every year and I try to treat myself if I can afford it. I just got the new one Tricia Guild Pattern which I recently saw written up in Elle Décor. All I can say is I am not disappointed. It is amazing, If you are a design and color fanatic like me, you may want to add this book to your Christmas wishlist.

Here’s the cover –

Here are the end-papers – can you believe – 2 different beautiful prints –


Here is the cover without the jacket –


Here is one of the amazing color spreads – Look carefully at the right hand page – it is a translucent overlay printed with a beautiful image.


Here’s what the underside image looks like.


It is like this all the way through – beautiful image after beautiful image. The writing is nice too.

And here’s a sneak peek close-up of the cover. Yes, that is flocking on the cover – Amazing, huh? Can you wait til Christmas? Enjoy!

Starting a Stitchalong

I have been thinking about starting an embroidery "stitchalong" for a really long time now. I have been fascinated by the “knitalongs” that I have seen popping up when a new knitting book comes out. As I have been researching these knitalongs, I noticed that they were being administrated not by authors, but by readers. Is it inappropriate to have an author running her own stitchalong? I hope not – I just want to see what (if anything) is being stitched and to start a little embroidery community where everyone can share ideas. If this gets to be too much for me to handle, I have a friend who has volunteered to help with some administration (thanks Sara!).

Here is the link and as you can see, there is just one lonely project waiting for company. I was going to wait until after the holidays to start this thing because I know how busy you all are this time of year. But then I thought about it -- What about all the stitchers who are making potholders like on this post? If they took photos before wrapping a gift, they could join after the holidays. So, if you are doing hand-stitching on holiday gifts, think about joining us.

If you don’t want to join the Stitchalong because you just don’t feel technologically savvy enough, you can still participate. Send me a photo of your finished project (72 dpi, please) along with a brief description of what you did. I will then post the project for you. Make sure you identify how you would like your name listed and if you would like your town or country listed also.

I have had real “fear of failure” with this project…. What if noone joins? What if noone is stitching from ideas in either Colorful Stitchery or Kids Embroidery? Don’t let me down folks. And I would love to have your kids involved too. I’d love to see (as I am sure others would too) what your children have done with ideas from Kids’ Embroidery.

If you are interested in joining the Stitchalong, e-mail me by hitting my e-mail button at right and I’ll send you an invite. In the subject line, include I want to join the stitchalong. And spread the word please!

If you don't know what a "Stitchalong" is - here's my brief description. Check out this one to see one in action.
1. Join the stitchalong and become a "team member."
2. Stitch something inspired by one of my stitching books.
3. Take a photo of the object.
4. Convert the digital photo to 72 dpi if it isn't already.
5. From blogger dashboard, choose create post on the Colorful Stitchery Blog which you are a team member of.
6. Upload your photo to the post.
7. Write a brief description of the project - i.e. fabric stitched on, thread used, how you did it, who it is for. In other words, whatever you think other stitchers will be interested in.
8. Publish post in Blogger and share your creation with the world.

It's easy and fun (after the first or second time, that is.) You can always use the other option which is to email me the photo (72 dpi only) and I will post it for you.

Thanksgiving with the cousins

My nieces and nephews are such fun. There are lots of them and every holiday I enjoy spending time with them – hearing what they are up to in school and after. When the Nicholas cousins get together there is usually some kind of craft or baking activity going on. This Thanksgiving, the girls made placecards for the table. Olivia, who shares my birthday, was the ring-leader, coming armed with paper, scissors and an idea.

She sat there cutting and pasting all these little pieces together to make all of us a pretty little placecard. The rest of the girls chipped in gluing and cutting and printing. The dinner deadline made them extra creative – trading in the intricate turkeys for easier acorns. I saved the cards for next year.



We had a lovely holiday eating and drinking and laughing up a storm. Unfortunately, our yearly hayride got rained out. Last year we had a very memorable hayride through neighboring fields in the snow – it was a picture postcard except The Farmer drove a tractor instead of a team of horses. Our farmhouse is the perfect place for Thanksgiving – it’s cosy and everyone feels close to the real meaning of Thanksgiving – the harvest and giving thanks for friends and family. With animals grazing outside the windows, we all appreciate the source of our food even more.

A Colorful and Peaceful Thanksgiving to All!

Meeting Holly Hobbie

On Saturday, Julia and I went to World Eye Bookshop in Greenfield – our local, friendly privately owned bookstore to a book signing with none other than Holly Hobbie. She is the author of ten illustrated Toot and Puddle books. She lives not far from here and every year we look forward to getting the next book in the T and P series signed. Julia has quite a collection. Because we have been going for so long, she now recognizes her which makes Julia feel very special.

And yes, folks – she is the real Holly Hobbie as in little girls in big bonnets from the 70’s. I was a huge fan when I was young – as were thousands of little girls. Mrs. Hobbie (I just can’t bear to refer to her as Holly because she is on such a pedestal in my book) is the nicest, most unassuming woman you could ever meet. The first time I met her about 7 years ago at a booksigning, I asked her if she was “she” and she said yes – she was one in the same. She seemed rather embarassed and shy and so I never approached the subject again. It seems that the entire world must know who she is – person after person asks her if she is the real HH and she says yes and then they fall all over themselves complimenting her and telling her what her drawings mean to them. Can you imagine the pressure of having such a following? No thanks! But she wears it well.

Her Toot and Puddle books including the new one The One and Only are totally adorable. Talk about “pig personality” – they’ve got it. Mrs. Hobbie said that there will only be one more T & P next year and then she is going to start looking for something else to illustrate. We loved talking with her - she spoke of her love of illustration and book making and how once you do, you just have to keep on doing it because it is what you do and who you are. I totally agree with her = Almost like being a knitter or stitcher – once you do it and become good at it – you can’t stop – you’re always a knitter or a stitcher for the rest of your life even if you take a break once in a while.

I also learned that the new Holly Hobbie animated stories, dolls, and illustrated cards and cartoons are not done by her but by the people at American Greetings. She said that AG wanted to bring the wholesome qualities of the original Holly Hobbie to girls today. I took a chance and bought Julia the new Holly Hobbie DVD called “Christmas Wishes" and we watched it last night. It is very cute and full of very good messages about life – very similar messages to those I grew up with. And Julia loves it. There is also going to be a new "Toot and Puddle I'll Be Home for Christmas" animated Christmas show airing this December. HH said that they had to add quite a bit to the story. I can imagine that this must be so difficult for an author to see the story changed and added to and not be in control. I’ll Be Home for Christmas was a totally sweet book so I imagine the DVD may be too.

Her two children Nathaniel and Jocelyn Hobbie also write and illustrate – they did two children’s books called Priscilla and the Pink Planet and Priscilla and the Splish-Splash Surprise. Both have nice messages and are full of colorful endearing drawings. What a hugely talented family!

I sound like some kind of crazy Holly Hobbie commercial. But I figure many of you out there in craft blogland may have similar fond memories of all things Holly Hobbie so I have indulged. Here’s a photo of the Holly Hobbie doll I made using a sewing pattern when I was young. My mom found her in the attic a few years ago and I have her sitting on Julia’s bookshelf. She’s missing an eye and her bonnet but she still is dear.

A Quick Great Gift Idea Everyone Will Love

I’ve decided that I am going to whip up a bunch of these great potholders for Christmas gifts. They’re a project in Colorful Stitchery and all the instructions are in the book. What makes them so special is the fabric they are made of – 100% wool blanket fabric. Wool self-extinguishes when it catches on fire so it's a great choice for this end-product. Best of all, you can whip up a bunch of them in a snap.

I’ve been frequenting thrift stores for a while – always on the look-out for old sweaters and blankets that I can felt and make into something new. Sometimes I transform them into clothes for Julia but many times I will use them for crafty home dec projects. I love embroidering on pure wool with pure wool yarn. It is very forgiving and after a quick steam, all my stitches look perfect. I use Paternayan Persian Wool for stitching. I usually split the triple strand and stitch with a single end. Paternayan is basic needlepoint wool which you can purchase at most needlepoint stores or on-line. I also sometimes use smooth thinnish knitting wool for stitching.



Nice wool blankets are hard to come by these days though. Maybe someone else in town is making the same thing? I don't mind a moth hole or two or twenty - I work around them or incorporate them into a design or cover them up with stitchery. When I get the blanket home, I wash it in the washing machine on hot with a cold rinse to clean it. Then I rip it into large squares (about 24 x 24”). I dye them in my old enamel dyepot using Acid Dyes which are really easy to use and yield super bright colors. Often I’ll dye a bunch one color and then change the bath and just keep overdyeing so I end up with a good selection of colors to use in the future. These old blanket pieces act the same as a good piece of wool felt which can run you a pretty penny.


If I am in a rush to make a project and I don’t have any backstock of old blankets to recycle, I order blanket remnant fabrics from Faribault Woolen Mill in Minnesota. Here’s how you order from them. You call 800-448-9665 and tell them you want blanket remnants. The cost is $8.00/lb. The pieces you will get will be a bit smaller than a twin bed blanket (standard twin is 66” x 96”). I think a twin weighs about 3 lbs ($24.00 for a lot of thick fabric). Ask them what colors they have and tell them what you want. I always ask for white or pastel colors so I can turn them into some nice brights with the acid dye. Make sure you specify you DON’T want machine washable fabric – if you purchase that, it won’t felt. They will ship it out and you will be very happy and have lots of beautiful thick wool to work with for a long time.

Get busy now!

Drudging up some pre-Christmas memories

When my sisters and I were little, my mom purchased five Christmas stockings from a local church. They were handknit in Aunt Lydia's 100% cotton rug yarn by Marie Kattermann, a local woman who loved to make Christmas stockings. Each was a little different - two were plaid, and three were striped. Every year we hung them, using the same nail holes from the year before - my mother warning us not to chip the paint on the mantel as we or my dad hammered the nails in. I can still picture them distinctly decorating our fireplace Christmas morning - the cotton stockings bulging and sagging to hold the contents.

Mrs. Kattermann's stockings were coveted by many families in town - in fact, as many of the children grew older and had their own children, "Aunt Marie" kept making the stockings until she could no longer knit. Unfortunately, that great old cotton yarn morphed into an acrylic version - which just wasn't the same. My mom still has our Christmas stockings and our kids now hang them at their "Mum's" when they are visiting her for the holiday.

For the Winter 2006 issue of Interweave Knits, I designed a quick to knit project which Pam titled a "Rustic Holiday Stocking." I think it fits the title. I love the photo - the little paintings at the right pick up the colors in the stocking. The twinkly lights add a festive touch. The location looks like a cozy cabin in the deep woods - which would be a great place to spend a Christmas holiday.

When I was making this, I was thinking of the knitter who would want to whip up a stocking in a couple of nights with a thickish yarn. I used Nashua Handknits' Creative Focus Chunky Wool/Alpaca in a mossy green, a rich red and a rust shade. For the gold, I doubled the Creative Focus Worsted. You could easily use Julia although you'd need to use smaller needles and you'd end up with a smaller stocking.

This is a totally simple stocking - a perfect project for a knitter who wants to try a sock for the first time and who is slightly timid. It begins with garter stitch for a nice stripey edge and then the rest of the stocking is made in stockinette stitch. Because it's knit at such a nice large gauge, it isn't as daunting as small needles and small socks. Turning the heel is easy (no heel stitch to master) and shaping the toe goes quickly.

After I was all done, I made some festive pom poms to decorate the top band and the toe. I added my favorite embroidery stitches using chain stitch and an easy cross stitch. The embroidery gives the stocking a little bit of zip. If you have put embroidery on your "to learn" list, this project might be the perfect one to try it out on.

p.s. Apologies for the scan.... I still haven't quite figured out how to get my Epson scanner to de-screen images from a mag. Because it scanned awful, I started fooling around in Photoshop hoping I could turn the photo into a "watercolorish" looking image. Needless to say, I didn't succeed and this is what I got - kind of an antique-y looking picture.

Tea and Memories

No matter how hard I try, our kitchen table is a jumble – everyday. I clean it all off one day, sorting out the daily deluge of mail, recycling every catalog we will never ever order from, putting the bills in the different “pay me please” baskets, and stacking up the various magazines to read when I get a chance to sit down. The various stacks begin to tower and then a cat knocks them all over and we start again. I scream or sigh, depending on my mood and tidy it all up only to happen again. If you’ve looked at the photos on my website from the article in Country Home, by now you have guessed – it’s all an illusion. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’ve got better things to do than clean and straighten and neaten every day.


Here’s what our kitchen table looks like today. I picked up the mugs at Streeter’s yesterday on their second to last day in business after over 80 years. I got enough for a few sentimental holiday gifts. I’ve been thinking about the upcoming holidays and beginning to panic slightly. My mom, sisters and all their families and my friend Alice are coming for Thanksgiving next week "in the country." I can already feel the days evaporating between Turkey and Christmas – it’s an unpleasant feeling – always feeling inadequate, unorganized, rushed and inferior. I mustn’t let those perfectly styled magazines get to me – they’re all make believe. You neither – right?

The tea we drink here is something called “Yorkshire Gold.” The Farmer and I first found it on our very first visit to Great Britain back in 1984. Of course we were attracted to it by the picture of the sheep, sheepdog and shepherd on the box (see the top photo). When we got our first box home, we discovered we loved the taste too. I used to buy fifteen boxes at a time when I was in England and carry them home on the plane. One time, I even had a supplier buy me a bunch and ship it in a container with yarn when I worked at Classic Elite. Luckily with the development of the internet, I now buy “Yorkshire Gold” from Mrs. Bridge’s Pantry in CT. They also sell a lot of other British teas, biscuits, and holiday favorites including Christmas "crackers". If you are an Anglophile, check it out. They sell yarn and the illusive Lyle’s Golden Syrup which is an ingredient in many of Jane’s recipes. I’ve never been to Mrs. Bridge’s but would like to go one day. The women who answer the phone are a delight. (Note: Unfortunately, the loose tea now comes in a plastic shrink-wrap bag - there's still the sheep on the label though. Thank goodness I saved all those cardboard tea "tins" just in case they decided to do away with the quaint packaging.)

Which leads me to the annual rush to make handmade Christmas presents. For years, I made gifts for my sisters, Mark, Mom and Dad. For the past few years, I just haven’t been able to muster up the time and energy to do it. I remember all the fun, late nights, and pressure it was making them. One year there was wool sweaters for everyone (made on a bulky knitting machine). For a few years it was my handmade pottery. Perhaps Julia and I can make something sparkly and small for everyone this year. We love a glittery mess. And as Mom always says "It's the thought that counts." My sister Laurie is a big tea drinker and if I had the time, I’d make her one of these totally useful, knitted, felted tea cozies. You can find the pattern here on the Knitty website. Knit it, felt it and pack it up with a box of Yorkshire Gold or your favorite brew for a “cozy” holiday gift - if you can find the time.

A Sad Day

Although, I always deemed it was inevitable, I am still trying to come to grips with the news I heard this weekend. Streeter's Store in Bernardston is closing. Begun in the 1920's, it has been the local place to hear gossip, pick up the paper, buy an ice cream cone, and get a chain saw or tractor fixed. I have been frequenting the store since I moved here in 1999 and it has become such a special part of my daily life and routine. I decided that I would re-post the little article I wrote back in June because it just needs to be said again. I think I may have some new readers who will enjoy it.

Julia and I have been in twice to visit since we heard the news and we have picked up some things to remember the store by - a broom, a few galvanized pails, some postcards and some "Streeter's Mugs." Thank you to all the Streeter's for the very special memories I will always have. I hope Julia will grow up and have some small thoughts of the glimpses of the past.

From Another Time
originally posted 6/30/2006

Since I was a teenager, I have read The New York Times. No, I'm not that smart and worldly - I skip most sections and just go to the parts I like - fashion, food, business, the arts. When I moved to the country, I was at home with an baby and I didn't know anyone except Mark's family. And I was missing the cultural stimulation I was close to in eastern Massachusetts. Since it's not here - at least in cityish terms - I started buying The New York Times regularly again to get my culture-city-trend fix. Wednesdays (Food), Thursdays (House and Home, Fashion), and Sundays, I drove twenty minutes to the little town of Bernardston and picked it up at Streeter's Store. Pretty soon, it became a chore to remember but if I didn't read it, I missed it. I know - I could have looked at it on line. I'm an old-fashioned girl - I like the feel, the smell, the inconvenience of the large size - I like to hold my news in my hands and get them dirty with ink. And besides, with a dial-up connection, it takes forever to download a page of the Times.


So, I asked Eunice, one of the Streeter's, if she would hold three papers a week for me. She said she would try, but that it would be difficult. I told her it would be okay if she screwed up. They never have in over five years. Now, I only have to travel to pick up my paper once a week if I'm not going by and I get my culture fix.

When I started going to Streeter's, I never paid much attention to the surroundings or to the people working there. I was polite but I wasn't used to the small town pleasantries. When I lived in the Pepperell, I was invisible. I barely knew my neighbors names. I drove to work in Lowell everday, flew on a lot of planes, and never got involved. On weekends, we came here quickly but left. When we moved here, back to Mark's hometown, I was by myself, working in my studio, taking my daughter to school, doctor's appointments, doing the grocery shopping. My opportunities for meeting friends were limited. So the shopowners of the places I frequent have become our friends. This is such a strange thing for me. I've never been a "regular" anyplace - at least since I was a kid with my parents. Even then, the town was so large, it was easy to be anonymous. We were the family with all the little girls - kristinlynnlaurienancyjennifer.

I have completely surprised myself. I love being a "regular." People call me by name (okay - either by Mark's last name - "Mrs. Duprey" (who's that?) or by the most common "Julia's mom"). Once in awhile, someone will call me Kristin. Those must be people who know me really well.

I have become so fascinated with small town culture - specifically the entire culture at Streeter's Store. For Bernardston, this is Walmart. From where I live, I have to travel almost an hour to get to any big box retailer. I save a lot of money not shopping and not buying gas. That's a good thing - I have enough ugly plastic in my house (kid's toys). I don't miss having that opportunity, at all.

Every week, at Streeter's, I pick up my paper here --

But first I have to step by Whitey Streeter who holds court on this park bench next to the paper box. Whitey is a little bit like the town crier. If you need information, ask him. He probably knows it or will find out for you. On June 28th, he turned 86 years old. He told me the other day, he has been sitting on that bench since he was seven years old. WOW! What a chunk of small town history. Whitey is usually surrounded by men talking about the weather, hunting, town politics. He is polite and charming and when he was young, he had to be incredibly handsome - he still is. Each week, I look forward to seeing him as does Julia.

When I started thinking about this idea for a post, I started delving into the recesses of Streeter's store. They just have everything I need here.

I can buy my sewing supplies --

I can supply my kitchen with a whole collection of pots and pans --

I can purchase cleaning tools --

Mark can buy his entire wardrobe here - wool and flannel shirts, bright orange hunting gear (so when he is working in the woods, the hunters won't shoot him), jackets, boots. What else does he need?

Colorful cotton bandanas great you at the door - if you look up. I could make a great quilt out of them.

You can buy a chain saw, oil, nuts, bolts, screws and other hardware supplies, woodstove parts.... the list is endless. You can even buy a tractor. Mark bought his Massey Ferguson from them. They're the oldest Massey dealership in New England.

I can even show my daughter a picture of the grandfather she never knew (and the father-in-law I never knew) on this great old framed collage of local boys serving in the Second World War. (Norman is the third from the left on the first full row down.) If I mention Norman's name, I'll get a story or two from Whitey or Eunice who went to school with him. Where else would this happen?


If you are driving on Route 91 north, take the last exit in Massachusetts (Bernardston). Go about 200 yards. You'll find Streeter's on the left. Stop in and say hi. Poke around and find a bargain. Strike up a conversation. You'll feel like you stepped back forty years. It's a great feeling. I'm so lucky to be able to go there whenever I want.

Maybe your town still has a place like this. Consider yourself lucky - most Americans don't. The mall culture is invading all the corners of the country. It's okay to shop at the mall - just open your eyes to what else is around you. Support the little guy!

Gotta run to Streeter's to pick up our Fourth of July flags. We're getting our piglets on the 4th and we need to decorate the "Pig Palace." I hope Streeter's has them.

A little more fall color

I have had a totally kooky week here and I am exhausted. To top it all off, Julia had only had 3 full school days this week. Lots less time to get stuff done. Julia and I are off to eastern Massachusetts for the day. I thought I would end the week with a few more beautiful shots of fall. It doesn't look like this anymore around here - much more naked and gray - but these pictures help me remember how beautiful and colorful it was just three short weeks ago.

I found this fern on a walk and just loved the swirly way the color was changing on the fronds.


The Farmer and I first saw Scottish Highland Cattle on a trip to Scotland almost 23 years ago. I have always wanted a few to keep in the pasture because they just look so darn cool. We have decided not to invest though right now because it would mean a serious fence upgrade which costs mucho. (Remember how well we did with the four Boer Goats?) Lucky for us, someone not far from us bought two of them three years ago. Now there are seven. I drive past them every week just to appreciate their beauty.

This old truck is sitting on the side of the field where some of our sheep are grazing now. I just love how the light blue color and the rust looks against the the gold, brown and chartreuse colors of the turning leaves.

Finding Julia in Yarnland

Although my daughter Julia has been making her enthusiastic rounds on this earth for a little over eight yarns now, the yarn Julia has been developing slowly and steadily. Begun as a single yarn distributed by Goddess Yarns about 5 years ago, Julia is now distributed nationally by Nashua Handknits (a division of Westminster Fibers - those same folks who bring Rowan and Jaeger to our shores). Julia (the yarn) has been making a slow but steady progression and transition to the national yarn marketplace. Last Fall was the debut of the entire brand Nashua - a creative, natural fiber yarn line developed expressly for the American knitting customer. I was so very happy to be asked to have Julia become part of their brand. Headed by National Marketing Director, Linda Pratt and Creative Director Susan Mills, these Nashua girls are really onto something. Maybe I'll ask one of them for a guest blog post - that would be fun, wouldn't it? The Nashua girls are doing some great designs and selling some amazingly beautiful yarns.

At any rate, as all yarns go, there are channels of distribution that all lead to your friendly local yarn store. I am so happy to say that Julia is now available in 130 stores throughout the USA and Canada. (Thank you Nashua sales reps and all the stores who are taking the chance!) This increase in distribution is so exciting for me (and Julia too). Knitters can actually find Julia, feel it and buy it. And I don't have to keep apologizing that it can only be found a few places. Here's the link to the new listing on my website giving all the current stores who carry Julia. (A giant public thank you and applause to all those who made it happen, inserted here please!)

I have been working with the major magazines like Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting to develop a steady stream of editorial content of beautiful sweaters and projects. And if you are a regular reader of this blog, you have probably already guessed that I'm working on a knitting book due out next Fall 2007 - more about that much later. Although not all the items I design for the mags are in Julia I try hard to place it. First of all because it is so very nice to knit with and second of all, the colors are so beautiful. (Thirdly, I do receive a very small royalty on the sales of the yarn and that's how I am trying to support myself here folks.)

So look for Julia at your LYS! And if you decide to knit with some, I thank you, as does my family thank you and your local yarn store owner. Here are most of the colors, although I was missing three that day. Isn't it a beautiful color range? And we've already planned five new shades for next Fall.


And as for my post title, we all loved that great movie with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet..... Oh the costumes, the scenery, and the story.....

A blog is like a road, a journey

There is a very famous poem by Robert Frost that was read at my mother-in-law Betty's memorial service over twenty years ago. It is called The Road Not Taken and I have always loved it. You can find it here. Betty was such an inspiration to me as a young person just starting out in my adult life. She raised three sons by herself after her husband died, holding onto a 200 acre farm which had been in their father’s family a few generations. It wasn’t easy for her nor the boys but they all made it through and are fine adults and fathers and farmers. I often think about Betty when I am pouring hot water from her antique tea kettle and marvel at how she lived her life. These final lines from the poem sum up her life:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Writing a blog is like a road and a journey. When you first start out, you don’t know where it will lead. It was scary at first – definitely a new journey, a new turn in the road…. but I kept on posting, writing, thinking, snapping photos…. It all started to mesh and mold and have its own life. The layers began to build upon each other.

I thank you for all the kind comments yesterday, suggestions, and advice. It was great to hear from so many of you. Thanks so much. (I still don’t know what the heck those white berries are - nothing looks quite like them on the internet photos you referred me to.)

I have been saving these two photos of our little country road for just the right post and today is it. The top photo shows the road lined with maple trees as they were turning gold and falling a few weeks ago. The bottom photo is how it looks now and will look for the next few months. I’ve got to get used to it because it is here to stay for awhile. I must say though, I am looking forward to January when the days begin to lengthen and to April when I can post the road with some fresh chartreuse leaves.

I’m going to keep on blogging, journeying along the road that some of us choose to follow and we’ll see where it leads. I hope you’ll come along.

Keepers of the Land, Feeders of Us All

Have you ever driven through the countryside and just marvelled at the beauty? – the mowed fields, the waving grasses, the spectacular swaths and vistas of open space.

I do, everyday. These views and vistas, which most people take for granted, don’t come easy. There is a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that go into them. Someone, usually a farmer, has to mow the fields two to three times a year. Without mowing, within a matter of a couple years, a field will grow up into brambles, then brush, then forest. Pretty soon, the vista has vanished. You can’t see the rolling hills, the mountains in the distance. Trees climb high to the sky and pretty soon the view is a woodland and the only thing you can do with it is let it grow, log it, or knock it all down and build a mess of houses unless someone had the foresight and where with all to preserve the raw land forever as a public space.


Mowing involves equipment – a tractor, a mowing machine, a rake, a tedder, a baler, the fuel. All these things help take the grass off the field and keep it pristine and beautiful for you to look at. None of this equipment comes cheaply. Then there is the time it takes. Time, time – noone has enough of it – even a farmer. But that farmer that mows your view and cares for the land - and sometimes your neighbors - feels it is important to enrich it with manure, to keep the grasses growing, to keep the land open. He or she may feed their animals with the hay but that isn't the only end-product for them. Most farmers I know take real pride in a properly cared for field or pasture, the neatly clipped grasses, and the view.

So next time you drive past a farm and think to yourself - “Why is there so much stuff in the yard?” “Why can’t they keep their place neater?” - try to resist shaking your finger. Farming is nowhere near an easy life and it is amazing that anyone chooses to do it anymore. Be thankful there are men and women who still are choosing to farm – they are taking care of your view and feeding you. By no means are they getting rich – they are working harder than most of us for way less money. Be happy to thank them by paying a little extra and buying their produce, milk, cheese, fruits and more. It’s the least you can do. Farmers shouldn’t be taken for granted. They are a disappearing breed. And when they give up because it’s just too hard a life, there won’t be a view to appreciate. If we all don’t support the small farmer, we won’t have a choice – we’ll all be eating our food supplied by large factory farms and the views will be gone.


It’s almost Thanksgiving – a time for us all to give thanks for the relative wealth, prosperity, and bounty that can be found on our shores. Help out the little farmer by buying a local turkey and local produce if you can. Chances are it will all taste better and you will be doing some real good with your purchase.

I’m stepping off my soapbox for now.

Blogging color and ideas

A big part of the reason I started my blog "Getting Stitched on the Farm" was so that I could document how I come up with my ideas. Because I have my own yarn line (Julia) and design for magazines, and write books, I am constantly working with color. After over twenty years of professionally picking and combining colors, I thought it might be fun to present to my readers how I gather my color ideas and turn them into sweaters, interior design, and yarn lines. It has turned out to be more fun than I ever thought it would be. This blog has given me the chance to easily show the world my ideas in a free, easy to use fashion and for that I am grateful. It's a lot of added work - uploading pictures takes a long time and so many times fails. Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night and add them because I don't have luck during the day getting them successfully up on blogger. (Ideas, anyone? I have a very slow dial-up connection).

Most of all I am thankful to you, my readers, for coming to my little blog and looking and reading. I love to read all the comments you all leave everyday - it is one of the sunniest times in my day. I am always curious to see which post will receive the most. I am constantly trying to discover a trend as to what you all like hearing about most - animals, farming, nature, color, knitwear, stitching, raising a kid? Do you like the pictures or the words? I'm awful at responding in the comments section - I just don't have enough time to keep up the dialogue with this painfully slow connection - sorry. If you need a direct response from me, I do best at answering direct e-mail. You can find an e-mail link on my sidebar.

I think for now, I'll just keep mixing the subject matter up. Today's post are late fall photos of color that I have been observing on our road and in our yard. This spirea bush is right outside our mudroom. The light was hitting it just right and the gold, red, and brown shades looked so pretty - like glistening jewels fluttering in the wind.


Last week this striped maple sprout was turning a great shade of reddish maroon with rust colored veins. The lichen covered tree gives a great example of complimentary colors in nature.


I spied this funny looking berry on a bush on the side of the road. The whole thing is odd - white berries and red colored stems - but it sure does look great against the forest floor colors of chartreuse and brown. Does anyone know what it is?


These photos lead me to a design I did for the first Designer Pattern Collection (Fall 2005) produced by Nashua Handknits. They ran this sweater as an ad in Interweave Knits and I heard from a lot of people who wanted to find the pattern and my Julia Yarn. This fall, the Julia Yarn is much easier to find. It is in over 130 stores throughout the USA and Canada. If your LYS doesn't carry it, ask them to. In a couple weeks, I'll have a list of these stores on my website so that it will be easier to find a store near you.


This sweater combines my love of cables, color, and embroidery all into one. The stripes are made in reverse stockinette stitch. The yoke section is worked in an alternating open cable pattern. After it was finished, I added lazy daisy embroidered flowers in the open part of the cables to bring the magenta and geranium shades into the lady's mantle chartreuse section. The long turtleneck makes it cozy and warm.

Vogue Knitting Pillow Reclaimed

We use our dining room about twice a year. A shame because it is so beautiful. But most of the year, it is filled with boxes of inventory, paperwork and stuff that overflows from the other areas of our home we use most. I'm okay with this because we don't have much storage in this old house and there has to be one place you can put stuff. When we do decide to use the dining room, it means that I have to do a massive clean-out. (That means soon too since we are hosting the Nicholas Clan for turkey in a few weeks.)


When I was getting ready for the FiberTwist the other day, I ventured in and this is what I found. Are they too cute? Zoe Sophia and Flora were asleep on a large pillow I did for Winter 2005 Vogue Knitting "Designer Challenge". I don't often get my projects back from magazines but this time I did. I was really excited to be able to add it to my collection of handknit and handstitched pillows. Unfortunately, the cats discovered it too and adopted it. Lucky cats.

The other day I decided to take back my pillow. I washed and restuffed it and here it is in my library/t.v. room. All winter we spend evenings in this room. The Farmer builds a cozy fire in the little fireplace and we read, draw or knit. Although I really don't enjoy the short days, it does make for lots of time for swatching and knitting. You've got to make the best of it so here I sit knitting amongst my pillows, cat or two by my side.

The embroidered pillows to the left and right are made from finely stitched embroideries from Uzbekistan which I made into pillows. Pink is a relatively new color for me to use in my designs and I must say, it is due to my daughter Julia's influence. Although I tried to keep her out of pink for years, there is no stopping her now. I've adopted it now and find it cheerful. By combining Pretty Pink with colors like Espresso, Pumpkin, Chartreuse, and Delphinium (in my Julia Yarn from Nashua Handknits, of course) it cuts the sweetness factor. This pillow makes me happy when I look at it and it mixes nice with lots of the others I have made.