Day Two of July "Getting Stitched on the Farm" Knitting Retreat

When we arrived back from the hayride, we were greeted by a table full of appetizers including a cheese board featuring local western Massachusetts cheeses.

Summer bounty is so colorful and appealing to all the senses.

Here is the table on the porch set for dinner. For dinner we had a grilled boneless leg of lamb marinated in red wine, garlic and balsamic vinegar, freshly dug new potatoes, corn off the cob, and a green salad. For dessert, sinful brownies and five different choices of Bart's Ice Cream (our local fave).

After dinner, everyone left for their respective B&B's and then arrived back early Sunday morning. It was time to cut the steeks on the Sunflower Fair Isle Pillow tops everyone brought with them. Some of the students had done this before, some hadn't. It's always fun to see the fear subside as each knitters cuts their own steek. Here's Ellen sewing hers on my sewing machine.

I used my Iphone to take a quick impromptu video of Ellen cutting her steek! It's fun to listen to everyone's chatter and it is just a little over a minute long. Go Ellen! She had never knit or cut a steek before. She survived!



On Sunday, the students work at their own pace. I leave the topics open and let the students make their own choice as to what they want to learn - edgings, colorwork, learning about color, or just working on their pillow. They knit and knit, laughed and stitched and knit some more. Tracy got so into the embroidery that she worked chain stitch on her shoes!

Here are the 8 x 8" swatches at the end of the weekend. Ann even added a mitered border to hers and is going to sew it into a pillow.

For lunch on Sunday I whipped up a veggie frittata with eggs from my chickens. I love frittatas - so easy to make and delicious.

Here's the class photo less one camera shy student. I love how they are looking down on their work, amazed at what they made.

The next morning, Julia and I met up with everyone at The House on the Hill to deliver some lamb and say "goodbye." Evidently I didn't tire them out enough. They even knit the Sunday night following the retreat. More progress on their pillows. Gorgeous!

What a great group! My family and I loved sharing our farm with them. Here's hoping they return again.