My Friend Melissa's New Book - Teach Yourself Visually Circular Knitting, "tags" and a Giveaway

Today my blog is the last stop of a Blog Tour for my friend Melissa Morgan-Oakes' fabulous new book "Teach Yourself Visually Circular Knitting." Melissa is also the author of two other very successful books Two At a Time Socks and Toe Up 2 At a Time Socks. Melissa lives one town away from me. Most of the time when we run into each other, we don't talk knitting or books - we talk farming. You see, she is a chicken farmer! besides being a great knitter, teacher, and author. Melissa also loves cooking our lamb which she buys from us here on the farm. And a dirty little secret - on Sunday, she is coming to the farm to pick up some "tags." Do you know what they are? Yeah, most of you know them as words you add onto flickr, facebook, and the like. But sheep tags. That's another story. They are the end bits that come off the sheep and they are usually covered with lots of manure. They aren't much use for spinning wool but they sure are fine for mulching a garden. Here's the pile from the other day. I don't think Melissa will take it all but I don't mind sharing the wealth with her!

Now, onto the business at hand - Melissa's new book! I wish I had this book when I was learning to knit in the round many, many years ago. If you have never seen any of the Teach Yourself Visually books, let me explain the theory behind them. They are similar to a textbook, breaking down the steps SIMPLY in words, photos, and very clear illustrations. And that's why the series is so successful - any newbie CAN teach themselves to knit circularly with Melissa's new book. She makes it look extra easy. She gives all kinds of great instructions for different methods (double pointed, circular, and magic loop) and includes a bunch of nice basic patterns that will get you right to work.

I will admit to you all today - I pretty much always knit in the round (or circularly). Even if it is a small swatch (I use double pointed needles for them). I just like the simplicity of it - always working on the right side of the work, very little purling. I wish I had had this book when I was teaching myself to knit circularly. Learning would have been much easier! That's the great thing about learning to knit in the year 2011. There are lots of great books being published - way more than 30 years ago! 

So if you wanting to learn to knit in the round, run right out to buy Melissa's new book. Or enter our Giveaway and hope you win! Check out Carol's great review of the book over on her blog Go Knit in Your Hat.

Here's what Melissa and I have for you today - a signed copy of her new book Teach Yourself Visually Circular Knitting and three assorted skeins of my Best Foot Forward Sock Yarn. Now the cool thing about this giveaway, besides learning to knit circularly from Melissa's book is that these particular 3 colors of BFF Sock Yarn have NEVER BEEN AVAILABLE ANYWHERE BEFORE! They were test colors when Westminster and I were developing the Best Foot Forward yarn. These three didn't make the cut, even though they were lovely colorways. (We can only produce so many SKU's, you know!)

The lucky winner will be able to take Melissa's Teach Yourself Visually Circular Knitting and make their own version of the basic sock pattern included!

Here's how you enter: Answer the following question: What is the first project you ever knit in the round? Or for newbies, what is the first project you want to knit in the round. What kind of needles do you prefer for circular knitting - double points or circulars with a cord? Please leave an easy way to get a hold of you.

Deadline: July 6th at midnight considering this is a holiday weekend and many readers have already left their computers! Good luck everyone!

Sheep Shearing Day 2011 at Leyden Glen Farm

The glamour never stops here at Leyden Glen Farm. Five short videos from our really big day shearing sheep.

Cast of characters:

Three shearers - Kevin Ford with blades, Bruce Clement and Gwen Hinman with electric shears

Two sheep wranglers - The Farmer Mark and Neighbor Tom

Three wool handlers - niece Kimberly, friend Addie and me

One jack of all trades teenager - Matthew - he's the one jumping on the wool in the wool bag and helping to wrangle sheep.

I guess it sounds very noisy because 2 out of the 3 first comments I have gotten is that the sheep don't sound very happy. Here's the thing.... when the sheep is being shorn they just lay there as the shearer moves its body around, clipping the wool, not in any pain. And not making a peep. The shearing takes about 3 minutes. The background BAAAHHHHHing is from all the other sheep who are out in the field. They get really noisy and constantly baaaahhh. Some of them are looking for their lambs and some are just vocal. It is pretty loud with the noise of the electric shears and the baahhing but you just get used to it. Leave any more questions you have in the comments and I will try to answer them this evening.

Shearing is done for another year. We will be taking all of the clip to sell to a Wool Pool in Cummington, MA this weekend. Enjoy!

Better Late....

.... than never. Seeds sprouting. Weather has been awful for gardening anyway. June is not too late for beans, zukes, sunflowers......

Shearing tomorrow. Big, long, dirty, messy day.

Big Busy Wooly Week

 We're overly busy this week. Besides a deadline for some illustration work, our annual sheep shearing day is set for Wednesday. Kevin Ford, our blade shearer, will be here along with two other shearers (who use electric shears). We will be shearing in Bernardston, at the greenhouse barn. With over 250 ewes to be shorn, it promises to be a very hectic and stressful day. There is a wool pool happening in Massachusetts this coming weekend. Hence our need to get the wool off the sheep and to the pool to hopefully help to cover the annual cost of the shearing. 

Everyone here (that would be the three of us) cannot wait to get this yearly task done with. Talk about stress. Moving sheep, shearing, bagging wool, then moving sheep again. We've got some extra help to help wrangle sheep, skirt wool, bag wool and hopefully get it all done in one day. 

Now we have to keep the sheep dry as they cannot be shorn wet. Looks clear for a couple days but chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday evening. 

The sunflowers here are from Old Friends Farm, one of the many talented farmers who do the Amherst and Northampton Markets with us. They are greenhouse grown but oh pretty and cheerful sitting on the porch table. Haven't put a seed in the ground yet but will be very soon! Next up after shearing.

Sheep So Sweetly Grazing

And knocking down the overgrown weeds, roses, nettles and more. More new lambs still being born! That's Jeremy the guard llama amongst the sheep taking some weight off his feet!

Can you tell I got an IPhone? Just before my trip to Detroit. LOVE it! We'll be at the Amherst Farmers Market this Saturday. See you there?

Embroidered Hearts, Knit Hearts - Hearts All Around

I've had this post written and lurking for awhile now, waiting for the perfect day. And today is it - The Farmer and I have been married for 27 years today. Twenty-seven years ago, we celebrated the beginning of our official lives together in the backyard of my parents' house in Dover, NJ. Chris Poulos, a friend of our family and a teacher at Dover High, began cooking a lamb on a spit before daybreak. Some white tents were rented, Yette from the Scandia Deli did the cooking and we had a great picnic with 3 turkeys, 2 suckling pigs, and Chris' Greek lamb. What a beautiful wedding it was, if a little out of place in the burbs of NJ. For dessert, I asked family friends to bring "their best dessert". The table was overbrimming with yummy sweets and my Uncle Harry said "He had died and gone to heaven." Nice memories of a day long ago. I wouldn't do anything different today. Nice to think we knew who we were even back then.

Back to the post.....I have long had a fascination for embroideries and textiles from far-off lands. It originated with my Gram's collection of hand-stitched embroidery that she brought with her from Germany in the early 20th century. Later, when I was studying textiles at Oregon and Colorado State Universities, I was introduced to the scholarly research on textiles from foreign lands. I have never gotten over my interest in these hand-stitched fabrics, nor do I ever plan to. Often I bring the historic and ethnic techniques and motifs into my current handknitting designs. 

There are many design motifs for my knitting and embroideries that I have turned to again and again - diamonds, flowers, 8-pointed stars, snowflakes (not so much), swirls, and lastly hearts. I remember signing the letters I would write to my grandparents who lived far from us with a heart. Did you ever dot the "i's" in your name with hearts like I did when I was about Julia's age. I suppose every little girl goes through this phase. Hearts and love all around. Definitely a good thing when you are growing up.

When I hit the years of self-discovery and independence, I was just concentrating on being me - all alone in the world - trying not to be dependent on my family and disregarding my love motif. No longer did I sign my name on handwritten letters (remember them?) with a heart after them.... always love but no hearts. I am over that now, for sure. There are hearts all over my house. It may be something about having a child or it may be that I became comfortable with myself as an adult that I could then start telling the world who I loved again.

Do you see the relationship with the letter "V" and the heart shape. What about the word  LO"V"E? When I researched the possible origins of the heart motif on-line, these 3 ideas came to light:
(1) The heart motif originated as a drawing of the seed of a plant which was used for birth control way back who knows when.
(2) A heart motif resembles a woman's breasts or buttocks. Okay - I can see that.
(3) And lastly, the heart motif mimics the shape of a human heart. Knowing what a real mammal heart looks like means this is definitely a stretch.

The heart motif is organic and voluptuous. There are many leaves I can find in my yard that are shaped like hearts - morning glories and clover come to mind. Maybe that's where the shape came from? Sheila Paine has written many, many books on textiles from far-off lands. In her book (and one of my favorites) "Embroidered Textiles" she states that the heart motif originated when two curved ram's horn motif of hunting cultures were turned inward to form a heart. This motif is common in embroideries from Eastern and Central Europe. In folk art, the heart has always been a sentimental motif. Think of quilt motifs and Pennsylvania Dutch Hex signs with hearts.

Wherever the motif came through, I guess it doesn't matter. I just like the beautiful shape. I'm going to continue to embrace the curvaceous beautiful voluptuous shape of the heart. I'm back to putting the heart on my notes to those I love. 

Here is a pair of mittens that I started a year ago for Julia and finally finished for this past Valentine's Day. (Pattern coming soon....) I used the heart shape knit in two color stranded knitting following a chart I drew on graph paper. Like with many of my projects, I wasn't sure how I wanted the edge to look so I just started with the body of the mittens. I began with a provisional cast-on, knit the hearts and then bound off before the tip shaping. This made it much easier for me to do the embroidery. Having both ends open let me slip my fingers in from both sides. After I added all the embroidery (decorated chain stitch, chain stitch, and french knots - see side bar for videos), I shaped the mitten top. Then I picked up and worked the simple striped reverse stockinette stitch borders. This all rather cockamamy - the way I sometimes knit. Good thing I won't write the instructions that way. Poor you if I did!

I love to knit projects like this. They go rather fast on double pointed needles since the gauge is not too tight. I made them while vending at the Amherst Winter Farmers Market. I can't believe the comments they garnered - people were in awe of them. For me, they are just basic knitting, nothing much fancy at all.

The key to making a knit heart motif look good at this rather large gauge is the addition of embroidery. The chain stitch rounds out the jagged look of the original knit. I used that same technique on the Many Hearts Baby Blanket in the recent Color by Kristin. I'll let you know when the pattern done for the mittens! Don't hold your breath though.....

Doing His Job

Eeyore guarding the sheep as they reclaim our neighbor's awfully overgrown pastures. Eeyore is much more social than the sheep and every time I visit them all the way up the hill, he comes to say hi.

Summer's Here Officially

Wild roses blooming - the scourge of every farmer! But they sure are pretty in June.

A lovely pink rose in my sister-in-law Debbie's garden celebrating the upcoming marriage of our lovely niece Aimee and Jeff.

Happy Summer Solstice Everyone!

To Detroit and Home Again and the Worst Mother in the World

I've just gotten back from a quick 4 day trip to Detroit to tape the upcoming season of Knit and Crochet Now. It was one of those trips I'm glad I won't have to repeat anytime soon. I have forgotten how awful traveling for a living is. Did that, done that, please, no more. Because I fly in and out of Hartford, it is hard to get a direct flight anywhere meaning that I am usually on two or three different legs to arrive anywhere. On my way to Detroit, upon landing in Philly, there were no planes due to weather. (Looked gorgeous to me, what do I know?) I waited in a line for 4 hours to only find out that I would not make it to Detroit until the next day. After an evening at the Days Inn somewhere in suburban Philly, I arrived at the airport at daybreak to then take 2 more planes to finally arrive in Detroit about 20 hours late. All for the knitters I kept saying to myself!

The cameras

Over the next three days, I helped with the set decoration, and taped 5 shows that will air next fall. The PBS station in Detroit (DPTV) is a wonderful place, full of helpful people and a fabulous crew. They always make us feel at home. This is I think (sad I can't even remember) the 4th time I have been in Detroit. I can now say, and happily at that, I'm not at all anxious about the t.v. thing. Knowing what to expect production wise is helpful. 

Producer Candi, Michele from Simplicity and Drew Emborsky

The hardest thing is learning the steps for the projects I need to demo especially when they get thrown at you in the a.m. and you only get one take to present the project. Time is of the essence for all of this. Rush, Rush, hurry up. Get on the set. Hope I remember all the important points. I designed two of my demo projects (which means I had to make the "step-outs and the projects too) but otherwise I was showing three other designer's projects.

The staging area just beyond the studio

The set and some of the crew

The worst part of this trip was that I had to be away from my family and the farm. As you all know, we don't have help with the farm chores. It's just me and The Farmer and Julia. As our farm (number of animals) has grown, I have to help out with the day to day more and more. Moving sheep and fences is an almost nightly chore. Catching sheep - I don't dive for them but I work the gates. Haying - well I just refuse to do that because I'm not good with heavy equipment. Heck, I can barely back up my truck without hitting something. I can't imagine backing up a tractor with a baler or rake behind it. Way too much money invested for me to break. Carrying frozen meat up and down stairs, marking it with weights and retail prices, that I can handle. Producing recipes and hand-out materials - I'm not so bad at that either.

But really, my life is about taking care of Julia, the husband, the chickens, the dogs, the cats, the house. No matter how much I in the past have wanted this marriage thing to be non-gender specific, it just doesn't happen. I cook, I clean (oh let's say I don't, but I should), I take care of the gardens and all the other household chores. There's still wood to be stacked, gardens to be cleaned. It's not like The Farmer doesn't help - he is just too darn busy out there in the fields harvesting hay, climbing hills, moving fence and trying to keep animals alive and well fed.  Besides running another separate business. Basically, I think we both must be a bit psychotic. I keep saying to him (when he worries that there will be more lamb competitors) "Who else would work this hard and do all this stuff that needs to be done?"

I've been on such a schedule to get some new clothes to wear on the t.v. set, get my projects made for the t.v. show, write a couple of articles for upcoming mags, and keep up the Farmers Market lamb meat supply and marketing materials, that I haven't yet planted my garden. The house is a disaster (just ask Mom who came to stay while I was gone - BTW HUGE THANKS MOM). But you know, I just have so many hours in the day and I've got another big freelance gig I've got to finish (for which I am incredibly thankful to be making some decent money). Julia gets out of school next week but then it's back to summer school until the end of July. I've got to get the place ship-shape for the first group of "Get Stitched on the Farm" students at the end of July and just keep carrying on. I'm really glad to be back on the farm but frankly, I feel there are just an overwhelming number of plates spinning around on those thin sticks up in the air. Guess every mother feels this way, right? I am no different than the rest of the mothers out there (and I only have one kid), trying to feed everyone, pay the bills, keep everyone happy. Sheep mamas, human mamas, chicken mamas.... we're all the same. This chicken mama (who hatched 9 eggs about 2 weeks ago and who has fiercely protected her brood) is proud as punch of her pack of chicks,

To top it all off, Julia graduated from Elementary School and I missed it! (That's the worst mother of the year part.) It just breaks my heart that I missed the sweet little ceremony with the 6 kids (5 boys and Julia) up at our little town hall. I was able to gather up a posse of friends and family to attend and I know Julia didn't miss me one bit. My friend Marsha emailed me some photos just after the ceremony and I lay there on the bed in the Detroit hotel room crying. All for knitting and yarn. Hope the viewers of the t.v. show appreciate it. Who am I kidding - they could give a sheep's ____ about me. I am so done with that. I never want to leave my family again! How in the heck did Katie Couric do it? Good for Meredith for quitting! Sometimes life is just too short, isn't it?

Which leads me to the winner of the big "Judy Moody Giveaway." Stephanie who wrote: "My summer memories revolve around swimming, riding bikes and reading: biking to swim practice in the early morning, over to the library to check out 12 books at a time, then to the pool in the afternoon, and finally on to evening swim practice. There are songs (e.g., In the Year 2525) that can transport me back to those summers."

I loved reading all the great comments you guys sent in. They made me pine for being 10 again, laying on the grass and watching the clouds roll by. I hope I do that just once this summer. Maybe I will have to try it tonight. That is if I get something put in the veggie garden and price all that lamb for Saturday's farmers market tomorrow on the Amherst Common next to "The Taste of Amherst." Should be a busy day, fingers crossed.

Bummer Summer? I Hope Not! A New Judy Moody Movie AND a Peter H. Reynolds + Kristin Nicholas Giveaway for Kids! Double Rare!

Last weekend, Julia and I were lucky to get tickets to a real honest to goodness bigtime Movie Premiere! And we didn't have to go to Hollywood - all we had to do was drive to Dedham, Massachusetts. Julia entered a contest at the Blue Bunny - a great kids bookstore run by the Reynolds Family - and amazingly she won! Off we went early Saturday morning with cousin Lillian and Uncle Bruce to see Judy Moody and the Not So Bummer Summer. The movie opens in theatres across the US today. Produced by the same company who did "Precious", it was a fun, no holds barred celebration of a kids summer full of wild imaginings and the spirit of Judy Moody. (If you don't know who Judy Moody is, she is a character created by Megan McDonald, a kids book author that has turned into a multi-book series wildly popular with the 6 to 10 year old kids - boys and girls. Judy is illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, author/illustrator of The Dot and Ish along with many, many other kids books.)

Hosted by Peter H. Reynolds and his family and their Blue Bunny Bookstore, Fablevision (their media and learning complany), Candlewick Press, and Smokewood Entertainment, this was the very first showing of the movie in the U.S. Complete with security guards, it was quite something in the little old-fashioned theatre in Dedham's town center. Kids were dressed as Judy Moody. It was a festive atmostphere to be sure! What a great day. If you have kids or grandkids, take them to see Judy Moody and the Not So Bummer Summer. Lots of great kids lessons (and adult for that matter) presented in a fun and spirited way.

After the movie, there was a party at the Blue Bunny complete with kids dressed as Judy....

a Judy Moody Cake.......

and a "Double-Rare" book signing with Peter H. Reynolds. I'll admit, Julia is a bit of a stalker. Not really, she is just a really enthusiastic reader and she has been waiting for a Judy Moody Movie ever since she began reading these books a few years ago. Peter has been incredibly kind to her. His whole family welcomes her to the store. It was a great day.

To celebrate the launch of Judy Moody's Movie and the beginning of summer, Julia and I are hosting a kids giveaway here on the blog. We picked up extra swag from the premiere, had Peter sign it for the lucky winner. We bought the first Judy Moody Book which he signed and drew an illustration on.

Here's what Julia and I have for you.

"Peter H. Reynolds" Signed Judy Moody Movie Poster

"Peter H. Reynolds" autographed copy of the first Judy Moody book

Judy Moody pencils

Judy Moody activity book

And to make the prize package even sweeter (and a little more appropriate for this blog!) I'm throwing in 

a signed copy of my Kids Embroidery
a signed copy of Kids Knitting

embroidery floss and needles

some other rare bits to get a kid crafting this summer!

Here's how you enter...

Answer the following question in the Comments section of this post.....

 Ahhhh, summer vacation as a kid. Remember them? What's your fondest memory of your "not so bummer summers." Did you read incessantly? Craft? Learn to cook? Build tree forts? Swim until your fingers turned into prunes? Go to camp?

Remember to leave an easy way to get a hold of you.

Contest ends next Wednesday June 15th at midnight.

And take your kids, grandkids, little friends or just yourself to see the Judy Moody Movie. You'll remember what it is like to be a kid on summer vacation again. I think that feeling can never be replicated - the last day of school - watching the clock tick down, the bell ring, and the doors open - free for a whole summer of nothing.... I hope you and your kids, your grandkids, or just your plain old self have a really great summer learning, being outdoors and genuinely enjoying life.

Girls Growing Up + A Rhubarb Cornmeal Cake

My niece Olivia graduated from High School this past weekend. Graduations are such a milestone in a family's life. The official ceremony of moving on can bring me to tears in an instant. This time I brought my camera to catch some of the fleeting moments for future glimpses of the past. My sister Laurie and her husband Bruce were throwing Livvie a big party and as with all large families, I got the call, "Do you think you can make something?" Laurie had most everything planned out, lists made with chores to be done for all the nieces, nephews, aunts, and grandmothers. The lists were great because at least we knew what our responsibilities were. What a fun and busy weekend we had. I hope some of you have been able to share in family milestones this busy month of June!

When Laurie called, I jumped at the chance to make a cake I have fantacizing about but didn't want to make knowing I might eat the whole thing. Yes! A perfect excuse to bake a cake - a party with a lot of people. The rhubarb in my garden has been calling me. This cake is so moist it almost reminds me of a cross between a clafouti and a cake. The cornmeal adds a really nice texture. And it is super easy.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoon butter

3 cups chopped rhubarb

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoon flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

3/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs 

1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream

1 cup chopped strawberries and more for cake decoration

2 Tablespoons sugar (demerra if available - I buy it at the food coop but you can also use white sugar)

Cook rhubarb with 2 Tablespoons butter for about 4 minutes or until some of the crispness goes soft. Pull off heat and add 2 Tablespoons sugar and 2 Tablespoons flour. Stir into rhubarb and let cool.

Stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture. Stir in yogurt or sour cream. Fold in flour mixture.

Grease a 9" springform pan. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the pan. Add cooked rhubarb, then fresh strawberries in a layer across the batter.

 

Pour remaining batter over top of fruit. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons Demerra sugar. 

Bake at 350 degree for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove sides of pan and cool 30 minutes more. Dust with confectioners sugar and decorate with strawberries.

I'd say this cake is more of an adult cake considering it isn't loaded with all kinds of sweet and sticky frosting but boy is it good! Enjoy!

We are Fine here in Northwestern Massachusetts!

Just a quick pop-in to say we are fine here on our farm - sheep, lambs, dogs, cats, chickens and oh yeah, the farmers. We got lots of wind, rain, thunder and lightening but nothing devastating. After the storm cleared, we spent a few hours moving the sheep into a new pasture. We watched the gray clouds blow away, white wispy ones appear and then blue sky before dark. It is an amazingly gorgeous day here today. The heat and humidity is gone and Mark is off to the South Hadley Farmers Market.

Nature is a strong and powerful force. As farmers we work with it everyday. There is no working against it because it is not possible.... we just have to go with it. I know this more than ever as we try to grow out our sheep and lambs and keep them safe, healthy and happy. I barely watch the news anymore because most of it just doesn't affect my day to day life at all. Call me ignorant but I didn't even know there were tornado warnings. Not much I could have done about it anyway. I remember when I had an office job and my co-workers used to get so worked up about snow and storms. I never did see the point because half the time they never materialized. 

The tornadoes hit about 30 miles south of here and they are still assessing the damage. Pray for them. You can donate here. Thanks so much to everyone who has been e-mailing and wondering how we are! You all are fabulous to think of us.

The Winner of the May Giveaway is.....

But first a little kitten love. Are they not the cutest? I guess they are staying. We are incredibly attached and have named them Petunia (the tabby on the left) and Ziggy. What you don't see in this photo is the little lamb running through the living room in front of the chair the kittens are sitting on... Always something here.

The winner of the May Giveaway is ........ drumroll please...... PghCathy who wrote: My knitting time stays the same, but I do switch to smaller projects, hats, socks/mittens, or children's sweaters. It can get just too hot to have lots of yarn in my lap. Congratulations on 5 years! I've enjoyed every post.

I have contacted her and am awaiting a shipping address. 

I want to thank all of you who entered this contest - it was overwhelming the number of entrants. I loved reading all the comments about summer crafting. Seems like I'm not the only one who slows down their production of wooly yarn related products. Although it seems like so many of you just keep it going in front a fan or an air conditioner. I really appreciate your input and honesty with the comments you leave on the giveaways. They give me insight to what you enjoy doing and reading and help me to better target the blog to your likes and dislikes. But don't get me wrong - I'm still going to keep doing what I do here because part of this whole thing is helping me to see that I do exist and what I do is worthwhile. That's the funny part of blogging - you get back lots of what you put in. It's what keeps me going and for that I thank you kind readers for staying with me.

I've got one more really fabulous giveaway coming up in June so check in so you can sign up! Again, thanks for all the comments and insight!