All Hallow's Eve

For all of you out there (especially the knitters), check this out. Thanks to my friend Nancy K. in Minnesota for sending the link my way! Incredible!

As we were greeted in a restaurant en France when we were on vacation ages and ages and ages ago ......

" 'appy 'al-o-wen!"

I will never forget those faces, nor the mystery of what the heck they were saying to us. We did figure it out....

I'll be at Stitches in Hartford at the Westminster booth until sometime in the afternoon. Trick or Treating tomorrow night so must rush back to the farm for Julia. It has been a great show so far. I met tons and tons of wonderful, enthusiastic knitters on Saturday. Stop by and say hi if you come. There are lots of lovely yarns, books and fibers to buy! Or just to look at......

Don't forget to enter the October Giveaway #4. Scroll down and you'll see it. The deadline is November 2nd so you still have a couple days.

Selling Lamb and Stitches in Hartford 10/30 + 31

The mature ewes have been grazing a field up the road which hasn't had an animal on it in probably 8 years. Early in the spring, The Farmer ran his brush-hog over it so he could get rid of the thorns and weeds. Although they all grew back, some grasses came back too. So finally, last week, he set up the fences and the older sheep have been making good work of it. That is "Frank" our new Romney ram in the front. It's our first season with him breeding and we are anxious to see what his babies look like in February.


Do you see how the leaves have disappeared? Right now the only color left is from the oaks which are a deep beautiful red and russet and the beeches which turn gold and toffee. After they are done, it's gray until April! YUCK!

On November 7th, Chef Daniel Martinez of Bistros Les Gras in Northampton is doing a Fete d'Agneau! Guess who is supplying the lamb? Yes, you got it - Leyden Glen Farm. We are so excited to have our lamb featured at this fabulous restaurant in a 6 course fancy schmancy meal! The Farmer and I will be going - it is a Sunday evening. I am so excited I can't stand it! You can download the PDF menu from their website here. Maybe some knitters will come?

We had a busy lamb Sunday. Besides selling two ewe lambs to a new customer, we also sold two whole lambs to families who will be enjoying them all winter long. One was a first time customer whose husband had grown up on a sheep farm in Pennsylvania. They just love homegrown lamb and have no time or land to do it themselves.

The second couple was Janis and Rich. Janis found out about our lamb business here on this blog. You see, Janis is a great knitter and former yarn store owner. She also is an amazing cook. She and her husband Rich are on their third lamb so far this year! They love our lamb and we love selling it to them! To find customers who really enjoy pasture raised lamb and who keep coming back - well, it's just fabulous.

Janis and Rich are so passionate about food. They love to make all kinds of experimental dishes. It sounds like they spend their weekends cooking and taking trips based on food. They told me last winter they made cassoulet and it took them a whole week - from making the duck confit to making the homemade sausage! Wow - sounds amazing. I sent them off with some lacinato kale (my favorite kind of kale - it is dark green and really tasty) and some leeks I pulled from the garden. I guess it is a perk coming here to the farm!


We talked cookbooks and food blogs - they sure do know a lot! I love what I learn from my customers and what I learn from all of you! Janis suggested Hank Shaw's blog - oh - something else to distract me! I showed her Dorie Greenspan's new book Around My French Table which I am loving! I told her about Hugh F-W and River Cottage. Every time they come, we both learn something!

Janis writes a great food blog called "Bite Me New England." She frequently posts lamb recipes and chronicled their trip to the farm here. Check it out! And you must check out her knitted chicken hat here! Cluck! Cluck!

Stitches in Hartford Saturday and Sunday. Stop by the Westminster Booth and I'll give you a freebie I had made up just for the show! See you there!

The big October Giveaway #2 ends just before midnight on October 31st. Check out how to enter here.

How do we Handle Hundreds of Sheep?

You all know we have a whole bunch of sheep that graze around assorted fields near and far from our farmhouse. The sheep are pretty wild and trying to catch them when they are out grazing and enclosed only with temporary electro-net fencing is pretty darn near impossible. As our numbers of sheep and lambs have grown, so has our need for some better kind of way to corral the sheep for shearing, checking them over, and sorting. The Border Collies are indispensable at moving the sheep but they can't immobilize them!

This year we invested in a "mobile sheep handling unit." I know - just what you all want too! This thing comes from New Zealand. It is on wheels and it can be transported to the sheep on the trailer hitch of the pick-up. It is ingenious. On Sunday, we had to separate two ewe lambs from the lamb flock because we had a customer for breeding stock. The Farmer loaded up this thing and the dogs and I walked up the hill. Once we got it into the temporary fence where the lambs were, he took the wheels off.


After that, he started pulling on the first gate.


And voila, like an accordian folded piece of paper, we soon had a metal sheep corral.

In a matter of one minute, the dogs moved the sheep into the corral and our job was done. It was awesome. Boy - what a time saver for us.


In the past, we would have dragged multiple hog panels and metal fence posts to the field. Then The Farmer would have pounded the fence posts into the ground. Then we would tie on the wire hog panels to the fences. It would take forever. But this thing is darn amazing! In seconds it was up, we picked out the two sheep for the customer and loaded them into the customer's trailer. The unit folds back up quickly and now it is sitting in the driveway waiting for its next task. I know, some people have convertibles in their driveway. Not us, we have a "mobile sheep handling unit." You can read more about it on this website: Prattley sheep handling equipment from NZ.

October Sunflowers, Frieda's Birthday and Giveaway #4

Where has October gone? For that fact, where has 2010 gone? In a few short weeks it will be Thanksgiving. Whoa - slow down. Please..... I doubt it will. Yikes!

Back in the beginning of August, I still hadn't finished planting my garden! I decided to take a chance and throw in some sunflower seeds along the garden shed. If they didn't bloom, I hadn't expended much energy. It's been a rather mild fall here and although we have had several frosts, my late planted sunflowers are putting on a bit of a show. The other morning, the fog was rising, the mountainside was gloriously colored and the flowers were just shining their little hearts out.


They aren't quite as profuse as the sunflowers that grow in our field but they sure do look gorgeous and make me smile.


We don't have full-blown sunsets in our yard. What we do have is the sun reflecting itself on the mountain beyond our house. As the sun gets lower in the sky, it climbs up the hill.

Quickly it becomes a sliver and then disappears and it gets dark.


I love that time of day and I frequently sit out in a chair and watch the sun climb up the mountain.


Today is my grandma Frieda's birthday. She was born in 1901 in Germany and came to America in 1911. She would be 109 today. Gram was a huge part of my sisters and my life. She lived only across town and we saw her multiple times a week. Gram was always making something - whether it be kuchen, cookies, dinner, growing a garden, arranging dried flowers, sewing, crocheting, or embroidering. She taught me to crochet when I was 9 years old. Gram is one of the reasons I became interested in textiles and handwork of all kinds. She passed on her love of busywork with the hands to me and I am so thankful for that gift she shared. I can still remember her saying to me "Oh, Kristin, you are so clever." It was that encouragement that spurred me on! Every once in a while, I will stumble on her beautiful handwritten letters that I have saved since I was in college. She had elegant handwriting and she wrote me once a week for the two years I was at graduate school in Colorado. As she got older and began to fade, her letters became shorter and confused. But I cherish each and every one. So Happy Birthday Gram - wherever you are. I love you! And thank you!


And now it is on to this week's October Giveaway #4. Here's what I have for you.....

1. A signed copy of my book "Kids Embroidery" (a great present for a little friend!)
2. A copy of Alison Stewart-Guinee's Fairy Tale Knits (courtesy of Alison)
3. A signed copy of my book "Kristin Knits"
4. Two sets of my postcards - "Olympia in her Floral Felted Lei" and "Sheep in Coats"
and lastly.......
5. FIVE different colored balls of my self-striping sock yarn Best Foot Forward (courtesy of Nashua Handknits). That will make a lot of socks!


Here's how you enter..... Answer the following question in the comments section of this post:

Today it is about knitting patterns..... Do you feel a free pattern is as accurate as a purchased knitting pattern? Do you look to yarn companies and yarn stores for knitting patterns? Or knitting magazines? Or do you look to independent designers for patterns on the web? Feel free to add whatever thoughts you have on the subject! Thanks so much!

Contest closes Tuesday, November 2nd at midnight. Please make sure you leave an easy way to get a hold of you (e-mail addy is best!) Good luck! I have one more fabulous giveaway planned for the end of next week so check back!

A Colorful Walk on our Road

Last week it was so gorgeous, I just wanted to stay outside all the time! I couldn't get enough of walking up and down the big hill, any time of the day or early evening. The colors changed drastically through the week and this week, there are not too many leaves left on the trees. Here are some photos from one day.

Near the top of the hill, you can see the abandoned house I like to photograph.


Here it is later in the day after the sky had turned gray. What a difference a few hours makes. You can really see how the quality of the light changes too.


This barbed wire looks more complicated to untangle than yarn, doesn't it?


The mature ewes are wondering what is going on. They are grazing a new piece of pasture behind an abandoned barn.


The old milkhouse sits unused beside the pasture - a reminder of the past.


Closer to home, the lambs are always curious.


This sign is finally visible now that the leaves are blowing away.


Taking a walk is Phoebe and Ness's favorite activity.


Good day everyone!

A Winner, My New Knit It/Felt It/Zip It Bag & Stitches East/Hartford

And the winner of October Giveaway #2 is...... Drumroll please! Sally who said..... "I knit and sew as many gifts as I can. I'm so excited to be attending the Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival near Asheville this weekend, where I hope to find the perfect yarn for a cardigan for daughter #2." I have contacted her and am waiting for her post office address. Thank you all for entering! Wow - It was a great contest. Remember, there is still time to enter October Giveaway #2. Here's the link - the deadline is October 31st.

There will be another Giveaway next week, so pop back in to see what I've got for you. I loved reading all your comments about knitting for the holidays (or not knitting for the holidays, which is totally fine by me!) You've given me lots of ideas of patterns you might like me to design.

I just finished a new version of the Knit It, Felt It, Zip It Bag - a really popular pattern from my PDF series of knitting patterns that is available on my Shop Page. This version (scroll down for it) is made in a favorite color combination of mine - green and purple. Here are some flower photos that show different shades of purple and green together. The first two are of a favorite flower of mine - verbena bonariensis. It grows quite tall and is rather spindly but it dances above most other flowers in my garden. It looks great in bouquets. You can see the Black Eyed Susans in the background, adding a third color to make a really pretty and knittable combination.


Here is the same flower in different light.


Here are some irises blooming in the spring in front of our farmhouse. The sheep are grazing the lawn.


These light purple asters grow wild on the sides of the roads in New England. They make a nice color combination of light purple, yellow, green and the brown background of the fallen leaves.


This is a purple and green combo but the purple leans more towards magenta. It is a plant called Globe Amaranth and it dries nicely, holding its color even when dry.


Here is a really dark purply brown leaf which is very reminiscent of the purple and chartreuse combination in the Knit It, Felt It, Zip It Bag which follows....


My new Knit It, Felt It, Zip It Bag.... This is a great project - it comes in four sizes, doesn't take long to knit, uses up odds and ends of worsted weight yarn, and is a nice learning project for those just beginning to knit with two colors. Because it is felted, uneven tension disappears into the fabric. Anyone can appreciate a little bag as a gift and it doesn't have to fit anyone! I think it is a great solution to holiday knitting.


This shot shows the detail of the zipper that is handsewn in. I lined my bag with a scrap of silk but it isn't necessary. The pattern is available for instant download on my Shop Page here.


Stitches East is coming up soon -- next weekend in fact. I'll be in the Marketplace hanging around on Saturday and Sunday. Not sure the booth numbers I'll be in yet but for sure, you will be able to see me at the Westminster Fibers Booth. Here's a link to The Knitting Universe Newsletter which gives a run-down on some of the "famous knitters" who will be there.

Check out Kieren Dutcher's illustration on her blog, inspired by photos I took of our sheep. Lovely! And found this incredible blog via Kieren called They Draw and Cook. Love it!

More Flowers - Big, Bold and Beautiful Amaranth

For a few years now, I have been growing several different kinds of amaranth in my vegetable/cutting garden. I just love this plant. It starts out small and petite. Evidently, you can eat the leaves in salad or sauteed. Has anyone tried it? As the summer progresses, it grows and grows and grows. It is glorious, in my humble opinion.


There are over sixty varieties of Amaranth and you can purchase several different kinds of seeds from Seeds of Change. Me, I bought my plants from the fine folks at Walker Farm in Dummerston, VT. I'm not much for starting seeds. This year I purchased a beautiful red variety (sorry, don't know the name) and a lovely light orangish/tan/gold variety that is almost multi-colored and looking lovely with the pinky/purple cosmos blooming behind. The way the gold colored plants grow, they remind me of tonally dyed yarn.

I'm just crazy about the texture of this plant. Like celosia, it has almost a wooly, mohair-ish, chenillish, pom pom quality to it. This is a different variety, also a maroonish color, which has a Dr. Seuss-like look to it.


Some seeds from last year actually volunteered themselves and I let them grow. By the end of the year, they were almost as tall as me although the ones in this photo had fallen over and were happily re-growing amongst another favorite flower Verbena Bonarionsis. (The Verbena will self-seed like the amaranth if you let it.)


By the end of September, the plants were wild.

They were heavy with seed (which is a grain you can eat) and falling every which way. Just the way I like a garden - full and crazy with bloom.


I picked many, many armfuls of these plants. They look great in big vases and really look lovely with sunflowers.


Now, they are sadly gone and I only have a few lingering in these blue vases on the porch. These vases are actually bases for old oil lamps I found at a flea market a long time ago.


Remember the October Giveaway #3 ends Friday the 22nd at noon. October Giveaway #2 at YarnMarket.com goes on until Oct. 31st so check it out and enter if you haven't already.

Last Sunflowers, Fall Veggies, and October Giveaway #3

October is such a busy month in New England. The roads are full of license plates from other states, restaurants are busy, and all the locals are getting ready for the upcoming cold. There are so many gardeners and farmers in this area. Porches are groaning with pumpkins and cornstalks, scarecrows are popping up all over. My kitchen table is full of veggies that I picked up at the last of the Northfield and Bernardston Farmers Markets along with the end of the garden crop. I'll save them and keep dipping into my stash as the winter progresses. I can't wait to eat some of those ugly Gilfeather turnips grown by Coyote Hill Farm. There is nothing like them. I hope I can save a couple for Thanksgiving!


I have one little bouquet of sunflowers from the Sunflower Field that is lingering on the kitchen table. The field has been frosted a few times and the rain and wind has pretty much knocked all the plants down.


It's about time to retire my flower clippers. There are still some stray blossoms around and as long as they are blooming, I'll keep cutting.

I've had these clippers for years - a gift from my mom. They work beautifully - the thin piece of metal attached at the top of the blade holds the flower in the clippers so they don't fall all over into the dirt. You can carry a basket on one arm and drop the flowers into it all at the same time. I haven't seen scissors like this in a long time. I wonder if they make them anymore. I'm all about production cutting when I am out there so anything that makes it easier......


Did you know there is a new knitting magazine? It is called Knitting Today and it is available at newstands now. Check out their website here. There is a lovely feature article about my "Get Stitched on the Farm" Classes written by Diane Broncaccio, a local writer who attended my August Flower Class.

And now to the Giveaway. You're going to love this one.

One winner will receive:
1. A copy of the new Ohio Knitting Mills Book, written by Stephen Tatar, courtesy of Artisan Books. This book is full of vintage inspired knits. You can read a good book review on it over at Susan B. Anderson's blog.
2. The premier issue of Knitting Today.
3. A copy of Knitting Green, courtesy of Interweave Knits. This is a beautiful book written by Ann Budd. It has many, many amazing projects in it and several essays, including one I wrote about raising sheep.
4. Three incredible skeins of yarn from my friend Gail Callahan, The Kangaroo Dyer. Each skein has almost 400 yards of yarn. The darker blue is 100% merino and the other two skeins are silk/wool blends. These are so beautifully dyed.


Do you know Gail's new book Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece? It is great and getting rave reviews including on Clara Parkes' Knitters Review! I wrote about it here on the blog. You can order it on Gail's website directly from her. (She'll make more money that way! I'm always out to help a fellow author!)

As usual, there's a question you need to answer in the comments section. Also, please leave an easy way to get a hold of you. U.S. Addresses only. Thanks.

Question: As fall rolls around, most knitters and crocheters start making plans for holiday gifting. My question is: Do you knit or crochet gifts for the holidays and if you do, what are you planning to make this year? Who will be the lucky recipient?

CONTEST ENDS AT NOON ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22nd. I'll pick a winner and notify you by e-mail. Good luck everyone!

More Flowers - Cockscomb Celosia

When I visit the Franklin County Fair every August, I always look for one particular bouquet of flowers. Someone always enters bright red stunning "Cockscomb Celosia." I just love the fuzziness and texture of the blooms and the undulation and convoluted nature of the flower petals. I used to have a rooster with a "rosecomb" whose "cocks' comb" looked just like this flower. None of the roosters I have now have a rosecomb - otherwise, I would be able to share a photo.

I have tried for many years to grow these flowers so that I can have bouquets of them in my house at the end of the growing season. I have always failed. I think I have planted the wrong variety, or maybe they haven't had enough fertilizer, or need staking, or ..... on and on and on. I never have written down the name of that gardener who is the blue prize winner of those celosia. Maybe one day I will and ask for their secrets. Does anyone out there have good success with these?

This year I tried again. I bought two kinds of plants up at Walker Farm in Dummerston, VT - one a Bombay Mixed color selection and the second something called Cramer's Burgundy. Once again, I was disappointed with the Bombay variety. They failed me. Every year, they send out one big bloom and after I pick it, nothing else happens. But the Cramer's variety did just fine. I wouldn't win any entries in the county fair but I did get quite a few vase loads of flowers out of the six plants I bought.


The first flower was always the largest and after that was picked, the plants sent up a bunch more smaller blossoms. Sadly, they are pretty much over now. In the photo below, you can see how their color has changed and the plants are looking rather tired. I will plant them again next year and see if I can give them a little more space and manure.


They looked great mixed with the end of the summer zinnias.


I'm just crazy over the texture and the crazy folds. I think they remind me of velvet fabric, wool, and gathered ruffles on the shirts I used to make and wear.


Maybe next year, I'll find some other Cramer's colors and give them a go too!