My family and I are recuperating from the dynamic group of six knitters (customers, shopowner, and teacher from Black Sheep Yarns in Cockeysville, Maryland) who spent the weekend here at our farm for the first "Getting Stitched at the Farm" Knitting Retreat of 2011. Whew! What a great bunch of women! Enthusiasm coming out the wazoo, laughter, talent and the ability to give anything a try!
This group of knitters had pre-arranged with me a year and a half ago to take the entire July 30/31 class. They have been really looking forward to coming to the farm as a special knitting trip along with it being a "knitting and textile vacation." They arrived 2 days early to see the "Valley" including stops at Webs, The Bridge of Flowers, and Historic Deerfield. (You can find all our local sites linked on my class website.)
After a tour of our home with lots of chatter about decorative painting, color, antiques, pottery, we headed down to the studio to start working.
Although I have a "schedule" for the weekend, I leave it completely open for the students to shape what I teach. The great thing about having the class here at the farm is that I can pull out all kinds of examples to show and share with everyone. We began with embroidery on knit swatches that everyone brought with them. These women really "got it" and got into it. Here's what they looked like part way through Saturday.
I couldn't stop them although I did get them to break for a wonderful lunch prepared by my neighbor Debbie. The girls were so into decorating the plain stockinette fabric. I love watching knitters bloom into "embroiderers" - developing confidence to just go crazy with the different very easy stitches I share with them.
This group got so into the embroidery, we spent the entire day learning stitches and decorating their knitted fabric. By the end of the day, they were pooped as was I. There was talk of naps before the hayride. I really don't mind if someone needs a nap and have a cozy nook that is available! But they rallied themselves, we moved to the porch, and waited for the haywagon to arrive.
The Farmer drove up and we piled onto the haybales. Climbing onto a haywagon isn't the easiest thing to do but we got everyone on and off we went. Julia too!
Up to the top of the hill.....
For the obligatory photo....
Our Border Collies Phoebe and Ness came along...
And did a little impromptu herding of the adult ewes.....
Down the hill over the bouncy road...... (Hipstamatic app via my iphone)
Past a hayfield.....
Down along Glen Road.... (spooky quality via the Hipstamatic App)
More spookiness via the iphone Hipstamatic app. Amazing what a bouncing haywagon can produce on that thing....
Over to "East Hill" to see Mt. Monadnock in the distance and then we headed towards home.... Back to the hayfield....
Past some roadside Queen Anne's Lace
Down the hill towards our farmhouse...
What a great day!
I'll be back with more from the weekend tomorrow. There's still 4 spots available in the September 9/10 retreat. Come and join the fun. Here's the link for more information about the retreat and how to register here. NOTE: Accommodations are not included but there are all kinds of great B&B's in the area. Find more about them here.
1 comment:
I have so enjoyed embroidering on my knit ware since reading your books! Thanks for the inspiration.
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