Getting Stitched on the Farm

Introducing Kristin's Felted Farmer's Market Bag

2009-12-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

I've been a busy little bee here at the farmhouse. Besides all the pre-Christmas brouhaha, I've been busy working on lots and lots of new patterns which will be available on my website in the upcoming months.

Today, I'm so excited to introduce to you all my newest downloadable knitting pattern! Here is my....

Felted Farmer's Market Bag!

Just in time for gift knitting, you'll find the pattern available on my Shop Page for instant download. It is knit, of course, in my Julia Wool/Mohair/Alpaca in 10 colors. For all you Julia devotees, this is a great stash buster. Find out more about the specifics on my Julia Yarn Page here.

This is one easy project - great to take along to meetings or when you just feel you have no concentration left for intricate colorwork and cabling. The bag is oddly constructed and magically becomes a great bag. Knit entirely of garter stitch and short rows, this project is easy enough for an advanced beginner. Instructions are given for machine felting.

If you are having fun knitting my Quarters Caps, you'll like working this project just as much!

Thanks to all of you who have been supporting my on-line shop by purchasing patterns and my signed copies of my books. You can't imagine how much it means to all of us here at this little farmhouse. Every sale counts and helps us keep our little place a-humming.

Farm Girls

2009-12-09T07:11:00.001-05:00

When I was a little girl, I desperately wanted to live on a farm. I grew up in northern New Jersey in one of the towns along the Rockaway River. It was the big town for the local area - one where immigrants migrated to because there were good jobs in the form of factories making all kinds of things. The town was and is still dotted with brick factory buildings although sadly most of the manufacturing moved to the South in the 1960's, when I was a child.

A farm wasn't in the cards for my sisters and I and our dreams of having a pony in the back yard to ride quickly evaporated when The Mayor put the kabash on a letter my sister Lynn and I wrote to him. I still remember the headline that was in the local paper close to Christmas in 1970 - "Mayor Hedden Plays Scrooge." My sister Lynn and I were on the front page of the paper with our letter to The Mayor and the story told how Mayor Hedden had told us that even though we had a big enough yard for a pony, no livestock was allowed in Dover.

My pony dreams were demolished but one thing I did learn is that writing letters to important people sometimes....
A. Gets attention and an answer.
B. Can get you on the front page of the local paper.
C. Press releases still work.

I am still writing letters and I am constantly astounded when I do receive an answer from someone, especially in this age of instant communication that disappears into the ether. I am trying to teach Julia to speak her mind with the written word. By the number of fan letters she has written to Miley Cyrus, I think I am getting through.

I have once again digressed. So sorry. You are in for a treat today. On Sunday, my family and I went for a walk up the road. I had an ulterior motive - I needed a decent photo of an upcoming downloadable knitting pattern. I dressed Julia in her pretty pink coat, plopped the hat on her and off we all went. It was a slow walk because Mr. Hannah The Cat came along and as things go, there was a lot of chasing after him so that he would "continue the journey." The photos turned out great (thank you Julia) and I can't wait to share them with all of you whenever the pattern gets done. Don't hold your breath though.

We got about a quarter mile up the road..... and got way laid at our neighbors who were out in the yard doing chores and enjoying the sunny day and fresh fallen snow. Kayla is the daughter of our neighbors and she and her partner Tom are developing quite a nice herd of cows, both beef and dairy. I love to visit the cows - they are such large lumbering creatures - slow and steady and very photogenic.

I started messing with my camera and looked over at the cows. There was Julia and Kayla standing and staring at the cows, deep in conversation.

I was in hysterics (silent ones, albeit) because I thought they looked like a couple of old farmers talking about their livestock. Wouldn't you agree? The girls turned towards me laughing.

Kayla is 21 years old and one of the nicest people I know. She loves her cows and takes the best care of them. I asked her if she might like to be in a photo with "the stocking hat" which was the project of the day. "Oh, sure" she said, and on went the hat. Then she climbed under the fence and started conversing with her boy Ferdinand, who isn't a bull anymore.

Ferdinand was de-horned when he was younger so he wouldn't be too much trouble to be around. His horns grew back but only one has that classic curved shape to it. The other is a little stub.

Kayla asked me if I might want to have a photo of her riding Ferdinand. "Oh sure, that would be great." She climbed on up onto him via the bale of hay he was eating.

And then a sweet little lovefest ocurred - Kayla hugging and scratching Ferdinand. It was priceless and Ferdinand was in ecstacy.

Then Kayla asked me if I wanted a photo of her standing on Ferdinand. She said she had only tried it a couple times but she would be happy to try it again. "Oh sure, sounds like fun," said the girl from New Jersey. And on up she went. Isn't that just too much? How fun. Ferdinand just stood there, quiet and calm and barely moving as Kayla performed her trick of the afternoon, smiling the biggest smile she could.

We had a good little talk about what a great steer Ferdinand is. Not to be outshown, over came "Mama," Kayla's milk cow. By then Julia had climbed under the electric wire and was communing with the cows.

I was smiling the rest of the afternoon. It made me so happy that The Farmer and I are living where we are, giving this great farm and animal experience to Julia. I'm pretty sure she won't be living on a farm when she grows up but at least she will have these memories all her life.

When I was sorting through some folders on my computer the other day I found some photos of Julia with our first pigs back in 2003. I just love these.

They show Julia's joie de vivre and love of animals and her natural ability to be around them without the animals running off and being skittish.

Julia was five years old then and constantly covered with mud. Oh, how I would have loved to have a childhood full of farm animals living in my backyard. But now I seem to be living that dream through my daughter and sharing it here with all of you. We do not aim for perfection, we make it up as we go.

I feel so fortunate. Thank you Julia and thank you to My Farmer for bringing me here to this place on the planet and in my life.

It's Orange Season Here in the Country

2009-12-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

Winter is upon us here in western Masschusetts. Shotgun hunting season began the Monday after Thanksgiving. A certain sign of winter arriving around here are the big and burly men dressed in fluorescent orange vests or coats walking in the woods, fields or beside the road. I always know when they are working up to hunting season. For the month before, unfamiliar pick-up trucks drive slowly down past our house and pastures, nodding their heads but not really interested in us at all. They are here looking for the deer.

We have never had a problem with hunters using our property. When we first moved here, I honestly felt my peace and quiet was being invaded by strangers. Some of the hunters ask us if they can use our property but most of them don’t. We don’t “post it” (not the sticky notes, folks, I mean “POSTED - NO HUNTING, TRAPPING, OR TRESPASSING) which means that anyone is free to hunt on our land. Ten years later, I am used to the annual parade of the orange vests and don’t even think twice about hunting season. I always try to wear a bright orange scarf when I’m out and about. I relish Sundays because hunting is illegal then and no one drives down our road!

Last week when I was fishing for a location to take photos of my new version of The Winter Wonderland Set, I drove on down to the corner of our road “where the cows used to be.” Don’t you love that? We speak about places in phrases like “up on the flats”, “where we saw the bears”, “up where the wind blows”. I could go on and on. But The Farmer and I are on the same page and we know what each other means.

This place "where the cows used to be" has a nice pull-in and soft and fluffy brown weeds of varying heights throughout the gently rolling hills. I thought the color would be a nice back-drop to the rosy toned hat and mittens.

During hunting season it is usually packed with trucks but that day, I had the pull-in to myself. After I shot the hat and mittens, I zeroed in on some of the natural beauty. Who was to know that those nasty burrs could look so pretty covered with ice crystals?

And ice covered hayfever inducing weeds ....

..... could look so ethereal?

Sometimes you have to look hard and differently than what you are used to but I am always amazed by what I see when I slow down, stop, and look around. So what if I went home with my pants full of burrs, I sure did have a nice hour out in the cold in the peace and quiet with my camera. I guess I'm right out there with the hunters in their orange, I'm just shooting with my camera, not a shotgun.

Book Signing Holiday Event and Color by Kristin Preview of The Little Shepherd's Scrap Yarn Scarf

2009-12-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

First up, I'll be at The Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA this Saturday, December 12 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. I was very happy to be asked to come to their "Holiday Author Event." If you have never been to The Odyssey, it is a wonderfully warm and friendly bookstore just across from Mt. Holyoke College. It has 3 floors filled from floor to ceiling with all kinds of books. I love browsing in this store! There's a great kids section, lots of wonderful cookbooks and craft books, and wonderful fiction and poetry. I'll have lots of samples with me from my new book and would love to meet you. Stop by and say hi!

My new book, Color by Kristin, has been written up a bunch of wonderful blogs - By Hand, With Heart, LapDog Creations, WhipUp, Art You Wear, American Gypsy Living, and ColorJoy. Thanks to all of you who are helping me spread the COLOR KNITTING FEVER! You are very generous! (I'm sorry if I have missed reviews. I try to link back to blogs as a common courtesy but I'm not perfect.)

This morning, I just realized that I haven't quite finished previewing all the projects from Color by Kristin. Today, let me introduce you to my handsome little friend Matthew who modeled The Little Shepherd's Scrap Yarn Scarf.

Matthew goes to school with Julia and often helps us with our sheep - moving them, setting up stuff. A couple weeks ago, he and another 11 year friend, Ross, helped me re-roof the chicken coop run. Matt loves to be on our farm and around all the animals. When I asked him (and his Mom and Dad) if he would like to be in my book, he said "I'm all over it. Cool." His sister Bridget is in the photo with Julia of The Best Friends' Pullovers.

Matt is wearing the easiest project in the book and one of my favorites. It is knit of about ten different colors of Julia and is a great stash buster. I worked it back and forth on a long circular needle. I'm not going to give away too much here about the project, just suffice it to say it is easy, fun to knit, and a great learning project if you are timid about working with different colors. There is NO STRANDING on this project for all of you who are fearful of working with two colors in one row!

This project is a great choice for beginners and will fit anyone - children, men, and women! The concept could easily be turned into a cosy "scrap yarn afghan" (I'll have to add that to my list!)

As always, you can purchase my books on my website here and I will be happy to sign it to you or a friend. A signed book makes a really nice Christmas gift for any knitter (even you) so drop any hints you want and I'll be happy to set up your husband, mom, boyfriend or friend. If you want the book signed specially to someone, please make sure you add those notes in the "special instructions" section of the order. If not, I will just sign the book generically. If someone isn't web savvy about ordering, they can down-load my order form and send me an old fashioned check. You'll find that Printable Order Form Link at the VERY END of my Shop Page. And thank you for your support.

What could be better on Christmas afternoon than spending time leafing through a new knitting book? Sounds like an ideal day to me.......

Why I Wish Every Sheep Had Ten Legs

2009-12-04T17:56:00.005-05:00

Our family's foray into the retail meat business this past year has been filled with lots of learning. The biggest surprise for me has been how confused people are when you offer them the possibility of buying lamb. Depending on the locale of the farmer's markets we have sold at the comments go like this...
"Oh, I could never eat those cute little animals."
"Wow, local lamb. How great. How much?"
"Oh, I hate lamb." (This comment usually comes from folks of the older generation who ate too much bad mutton during the 1940's.)
The most surprising comment I have gotten is: "What do I do with it? How do I cook it?"

The first time someone asked me this, I must have looked shocked. I remember being full of disbelief that someone wouldn't know what to do with a piece of lamb. But then I remembered that I have been cooking lamb for almost 30 years. I've found the standard answer, cook it anyway you would beef calms most of them down and they aren't so fearful. And then I mention Shepherd's Pie and they buy some ground lamb.

When we began raising sheep back in 1979, I was wearing rose colored glasses. For me, raising sheep was all about the creamy, crimpy, lusterous wool for handspinning, the sweet animals grazing overgrown pastures, and just how beautiful it all was. I am a romantic at heart and there really is nothing more romantic looking than a beautiful field full of white fluffy sheep, don't you agree? Being from the suburbs of NJ, I had never been exposed to much farm life. The closest I got to farm animals was at the annual Morris County 4-H Fair where the farm kids slept over in the barns with the cows and sheep for the duration of the fair. I always envied the fun they must have had when we were leaving the Fair every night to go back to our snug house in Dover.

But when I got involved in this sheep thing, my partner was The Farmer. He is and always was a homegrown dyed in the wool farm boy who grew up eating his family's cows, drinking his family's milk from their Sunbrite Farm Dairy, selling his eggs from his chickens as he rode around on his Dad's "Milk Man" delivery truck, and raising a pig or two. I had a lot to learn for sure.

When our first lambs were born, way back in the early 80's, I was hoping for a bunch of ewe lambs. That way our flock could grow and I wouldn't have to think about what to do with the ram lambs. As luck would have it, our first lamb crop was two ewe lambs and one ram lamb from our flock of four ewes and one ram. Back then, we named all our sheep. I can remember those names still - Putney, Frieda, Addie, and Betsy. Our ram came with a name - Zeno. We named the ewe lambs Polly and Esther and I can't remember what the ram lamb was called. Perhaps we were smart and didn't name him although I doubt that was the case. The lambs grew and grew. I knew that the inevitable day was coming when we would have to get rid of the ram lamb. We planned to keep the old ram Zeno and back then we never would have bred sisters to their brother.

After our first ram lamb was taken care of (you can read a bit about that here), I had a whole bunch of lamb meat to work my way through. I started experimenting with different recipes, buying cookbooks, and generally learning about all the different cuts of meat you get from a sheep. This was and still is a huge learning experience for me and one that I can honestly say I have really enjoyed. I love a good cookbook full of lovely lamb recipes although they are difficult to find!

Our step into the retail meat business has been another learning experience and once again I am enjoying the learning. Our meat business has slowed down since the Farmer's Markets stopped in late October. Coincidentally, we have run out of animals to process. What perfect timing although it was totally unplanned! Now, we're waiting for the new lambs to be born this winter. We will grow out them out to about 100 pounds and then the cycle will begin again. We do have some spring lambs left that are pretty much spoken for when they are at slaughtering weight.

So back to the title of this post. When we started the Farmer's Markets, we really weren't sure what we were doing. It took a whole summer of trial and error to figure out what cuts of meat would sell. I experimented a lot to see what cuts of lamb customers really wanted. It became clear to me that if we had our lambs processed into lamburger, we'd keep very busy. But lamburger is the least expensive cut we sell. Each animal yields many different pieces of meat - 2 legs (the back), about 24 chops (loin and rib), some stew meat, liver, heart, and kidneys (great for steak and kidney pie), lamburger, and 2 shoulders and 4 shanks (the hoof end of each leg). It's easy to sell chops - everyone knows what to do with them. A leg of lamb is pretty standard fare too, as is burger and stew meat.

And then there are the shoulders! What to do with the shoulders? I have cooked shoulders for many, many years but most people aren't aware why the meat is tougher - especially if they purchase shoulder chops. When I sell shoulder roasts or shoulder chops to a customer, I always preface the sale with - "You do know how to cook a shoulder, don't you?" You see, the shoulders on the animal do the most work. It's the part of the body that carries the animal up the hill and across the field. They are full of connective tissue which my Dad used to call grizzle. After many years of cooking lamb, I know that I've got to cook the shoulders "low and slow" or use them in a stew or a braise. They are totally delicious as long as they are cooked properly - full of fabulous flavor and with an unctuous quality.

And boy do I wish our sheep had ten legs! With every leg comes a shank (whether it is a front leg or a back leg). Lamb shanks are delicious and thanks to many fine restaurants, they are becoming more and more popular with consumers. No matter how many shanks I bring to a market, I usually sell them all. Shanks have a huge cult following and I am one of those shank devotees. You've got to cook them low and slow but man oh man, are they tasty.

Here's a lamb shank recipe I came up with a few weeks ago when we had a few shanks left and I had a hankering for them. It is one of those recipes that is really easy - you just put everything in a pot and let it cook. When you come back, it is done and dinner is ready to eat.

Kristin's Autumn Lamb Shanks:

4 lamb shanks
1 large can of peeled Italian tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups of wine - I prefer red but white will do

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place all ingredients in a Dutch oven. You can cut up the tomatoes a bit if you want but it isn't necessary. I use a copper pot but any pot will do as long as it can go on direct heat and oven heat. I don't have any Le Creuset pots but I think they would be perfect. Place the Dutch oven on the top of the stove and bring it to a boil. Once the mixture boils, place it in the oven with the lid on. Cook until tender - about three to four hours. The shanks are done when they easily pull away from the bone.

I usually serve one shank per person but this depends on people's appetites and the size of the shank. Serve with crusty bread, a salad and some nice cooked white beans. A perfect meal for a late autumn or winter weekend day.

There's a great cookbook by Stephane Reynaud I just found with lots of nice lamb recipes in it. And it is one beautiful cookbook: French Feasts: 299 Traditional Recipes for Family Meals and Gatherings. He also has another wonderfully beautiful cookbook called Pork and Sons. Both these books are so beautifully designed and appealing that my heart melts. Check them out.

And did you seen this? Check out the link - a new magazine called Canal House Cooking that looks really intriguing. It is done by former editors at Saveur and Martha Stewart. I downloaded some sample pages and it looks really great. A bit expensive but with the demise of Gourmet (I'm still in tears) perhaps it will fill the void. There's a chocolate gingerbread recipe in the winter issue that looks divine.

Does anyone else have any favorite cookbooks with lamb recipes in them? I'd love to hear.

Today's sheep photos were taken while the sheep were grazing another neighbor's field close to where we moved them a couple weeks ago. There's still a lot of grass left but it's just a matter of time before the ground freezes and the fence posts won't go in the ground. The dogs, The Farmer, our neighbor Wendy, and Eeyore moved the 230 plus sheep across the road without incident. Not a car passed, what luck! The electricity is running from Wendy's house through a culvert under the road so that the sheep will be safe from the coyotes.

Good weekend everyone.

Think Pink - A Better Way of Life

2009-12-02T15:52:00.000-05:00

Have you heard this saying before? “Think Pink, it’s a better way of life.” Here at our farmhouse, Julia is constantly reminding me of this. She heard it on the Eloise Christmastime Movie many years ago which has been replayed numerous times each Christmas season. It has become Julia’s mantra. I do love a girl with a color opinion, I must say! Diana Vreeland, the fashion icon, made an even more famous statement about pink. She said “Pink is the navy blue of India.” I love that, don’t you?

Color is a big thing here at our house – the walls, the fabrics, the knitwear designs, the paintings…. I like lots of colors, you all know that. For years, I got away with making and buying Julia's clothes in my own color aesthetic. Milk it I did….. I figured it wouldn’t last and I was right. Around about the age of seven, Julia began taking a real interest in the color pink. The interest grew and grew. Back then, if it wasn’t pink, she wouldn’t wear it. I expected pink to morph into a love of purple. Well, I am still waiting…. No purple love in her life yet. Julia will still only wear clothes that are pink – especially sweaters and tops. Pants, I can get away with neutral shades of denim, black, brown and an occasional purple. But “Pink Rules” around our house, as I am constantly reminded.

I’m trying to take the pink thing in stride. I’m not much of a pink girl. I wear lots of dark colors mostly because they don’t show the dirt and I’m a pretty lazy dresser and shopper. I hate to shop. Both The Farmer and I are wearing clothes that we’ve had for probably 15 years. Just the other day, he sadly said, “I guess I’ve got to throw this shirt away.” I looked at it – the collar was frayed, there were rips caused by some kind of farming implement from the shoulder to the chest. I agreed and sadly it hit the trash can, not even good enough to give to the Salvation Army. Julia mentioned that we should save it for next year’s scarecrow. “Yes Honey, what a great idea,” I responded. But then I decided it was best to toss the shirt because by next summer there surely would be another “scarecrow worthy” shirt. Besides, by then, I would never remember where I had put the tattered thing.

Back to the pink thing. I’ve been busy knitting every night in anticipation of the holidays and the incoming cold weather. In my vague memory, I remembered that the mitten situation for Julia wasn’t very good. Last year she wore two different pairs of pinkish handmade mittens and by the end of the year there was only one of each pair left. Better get busy Mom, I said to myself. And besides, the school has sent home warning notes about sending in your child with proper warm hats and mittens.

Here is what I came up with.

I decided to make Julia a new Winter Wonderland Hat and Mitten Set. I couldn’t use the same exact color as last year’s set – that would give me no reason to write about it nor show you all a new color combination possibility. I pulled out a different shade of pinkish yarn from my Julia stash. Actually it isn’t very pink at all but a lovely autumn inspired faded rose called Berry Berry. “What do you think Julia? Will you wear this?” She answered “Yes Mommy, it looks pink to me.” Ah, success.

For the past two nights I have been knitting madly away using 2 skeins of my Julia Yarn in NHJ 0124 Berry Berry and one skein of my Best Foot Forward Sock Yarn in Color NBF 7329 Fruit Salad. I eeked out the mittens with just a few inches left of one skein. There was a bit more leftover from the hat which I could have used if the mitten yarn ran out.

This set is made using 1 strand of a worsted weight yarn and two strands of standard sock yarn. I chose to wind all the yarns into one ball to make it easier to knit from. First I wound the Julia with 1 strand of the sock yarn. Then I wound this new ball into another ball adding a second strand of sock yarn. After winding both balls of Julia with two strands of sock yarn, I still have more sock yarn. Boy, does sock yarn go a long way!

For my crochet flowers, I used an odd ball of Julia Lady’s Mantle NHJ 3961. The French knots are made of Julia Pretty Pink NHJ 8141. This morning it turned cold and the Winter Wonderland Set was put into warming service. I’m hoping they last a few months because I’ve got other projects to knit. If need be though, I know I can make a pair of mittens in a night and a hat the second night. The crocheted and embroidered flower trim took another hour and a half or so. I so love a big gauged project!

If you’re looking for a quick knit for a Christmas gift and you have some worsted weight wool and odds and ends of sock yarn sitting in your stash, hop on over to my Shop Page to purchase and download my Winter Wonderland Pattern.

Has anyone else heard any more fun quotes about pink? Do you have any pink girls living at your house? It seems our cat Mr. Hannah seems to like pink too!

Early Winter Colors in New England

2009-12-01T09:08:00.000-05:00

The beautiful colors of our hillside are quickly disappearing and taking on the earthy natural shades of grays and browns that appear in early winter. The weather has been unseasonably warm and taking walks has been so enjoyable. There has been no need to be overly bundled up.

I like how the hydrangea flowers in our front yard look against the faded tones of the mountain behind it.

Ragweed makes so many people's lives unpleasant but in the fall when it goes to seed it adds a certain interest to the landscape.

Up the hill from our farmhouse, the rosehips will be food for the birds all winter long.

There's been so much on the radio lately about the invasive nature of bittersweet. I especially enjoyed Laurie Sanders piece on WFCR's Field Notes which you can listen to as a podcast here.

Now that I am aware of this, I can't help but see bittersweet vines all through the hillsides around here. It's too bad the plant is so invasive because it does add some color to the November landscape.

Here's another nasty weed that the birds spread around! The dark purple and wine colored berries look so beautiful against the tan shriveled leaves. It is so hard to get rid of though and I fight with it constantly as it seems to have invaded my perennial garden.

Right outside my back door, I planted a shrub called Beauty Bush. It never looks like much until very late in the fall. Then the skinny branches are covered with little purple berries.

There have been so many lovely sunsets this past month. When I see one happening, I yell for Julia "Sunset happening!" We run up the road or drive if it looks like it is going to disappear quickly which they so often do.

I think she is starting to notice them finally and maybe appreciate all the colors as the sky deepens and goes dark.

Enjoy the colors around you today.

Julia and Her Cousins in My Quarters Caps

2009-11-30T07:30:00.002-05:00

A few posts ago, I introduced The Quarters Cap, a new design that is available exclusively on my website as a PDF download. It's a really easy project knit in garter stitch with an easy to learn short row technique which shapes the crown of the hat made in my Julia Yarn. By using four different colors of Julia, the cap makes a swirl design at the center that is really pretty. I've been knitting these caps like crazy - they are the perfect project to take along and do when I have a few minutes between appointments. I started with caps for my teenage nephews (which were a huge hit - see the post below) and then moved onto the nieces. The day after Thanksgiving, I gave one to each of my nieces designed especially to match their winter coats. Here's what each of my sweet nieces looks like in their cap.

Olivia just turned 17 and she and I share the same birthday. Olivia is really busy with school and learning to drive right now but she likes to knit, sew, and do all kinds of crafts when her schedule isn't over-booked. She's a blue girl through and through. Her cap used Lady's Mantle NHJ3961, Lupine Blue 5178, Spring Green NHJ5185, and Aqua Fog NHJ4013.

Celia just turned 16 and she loves to knit, bake and is up for learning any craft. She is also a really good basketball player. I love how the hot pink and red shades look with her beautiful auburn hair. Her Quarters Cap used Fuschia NHJ2624, Gourd NHJ1784, and Geranium NHJ6085.

Camille is turning 14 just before Christmas. She is an awesome athlete and her sport of choice is ice hockey! She is so sweet and especially good with helping Julia keep up whenever the cousins go on a woodland adventure. Her Quarters Cap used Lady's Mantle NHJ3961, Anemone NHJ9235, Persimmon NHJ0121, and Geranium NHJ6085.

Lillian is 9 and loves to sing! She has her Christmas Choral Concert coming up next weekend and we're hoping to go and listen to her. Her Quarters Cap used Berry Berry NHJ0124, Rock Henna NHJ2230, Dusk NHJ1505, and Dried Lavender NHJ8126.

Here's the new Quarters Cap I have made for Julia. It uses three colors - the striped section is made using Spring Green NHJ5185 and Steel Grey NHJ0122 and the solid section uses Fuschia NHJ2624.

Here are all the cousins and Julia standing amongst some birch trees in the woods of New Hampshire near my sister's house. What fun they were to take photos of. The girls were so cute - when I told them it was time for a group shot, they picked the spot. All the bright colors look lovely amongst the grayish background, don't they?

You can buy my Quarters Cap Pattern on my website here and knit some up quickly for all the special people in your life for a holiday gift. The pattern is sized for babies, kids and adults. For yarn amount and sizing information, see the Julia Page on my website. For all you locals, don't forget that Webs is carrying my Julia now in the store and on-line.

Thanksgiving Day 2009

2009-11-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

From our flock......

to yours.....

may you enjoy a lovely Thanksgiving Day wherever you are.

Thank you to all of you for reading and sharing in our lives on the farm and your lives hither and yon.

A Free Early Christmas Gift for All of You (OR What You Can Do While You Are Recovering From Turkey)

2009-11-24T06:02:00.000-05:00

Here's a little project I designed for the Newsletter Readers of the t.v. show I am on PBS called Knit and Crochet Today/Now. Each issue of the television show's newsletter features a free project and a show "expert" connection. I'm the featured "expert" this week. I was asked to design an easy project and the Snowflake Embroidered Ornament Set is what I came up with.

The set includes two snowflake ornaments - one crocheted and the other knitted. I used my Julia Wool/Mohair/Alpaca Yarn in Spring Green, Natural and Geranium, of course. I think they would also be fun in many different colors. You'll need some Elmer's Glue and some cardstock to mount them on.

I knit and crocheted all of these in one night so you can tell this isn't the hardest of projects. The embroidery was completed on all six ornaments in less than an hour.

Download The Snowflake Ornament Collection now and make a few of them while you are recovering from your Thanksgiving Turkey dinner!

Crafty Ideas for Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-11-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

Our farmhouse is the site for the annual Nicholas Thanksgiving Feast. As many Nicholas-related family members as can get here come and we celebrate my favorite holiday by eating, walking, and taking an old-fashioned hayride. I cook the turkeys and everyone else contributes one of their specialties. The worst part for me is cleaning the house before they all arrive!

The day after Thanksgiving, my sisters, Mom, the brother-in-laws and all the cousins descend upon my sister Nancy's house in New Hampshire. We spend the day eating left-over turkey, taking walks, talking, laughing, and doing a craft project together. Last year, we all sat around making little birch houses.

I loved seeing the spin all the kids put on it. It truly was a day to remember, as every holiday is. This year, my sister Laurie has something up her sleeve for us to make. Can't wait to see it! Last year I did a Tutorial on My Birch Houses which you can find here. Maybe your family will make a Birch Cottage on the day after Thanksgiving. You'd better get collecting natural materials soon!

FYI - the glittery animals are just made by applying glue and glitter to little plastic animals you can find at kids toy stores.

Judith Jones at the Odyssey Tonight November 20, 2009

2009-11-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Julia and I will be going to meet Judith Jones at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley tonight at 7 p.m. Will anyone else be there? She'll be signing copies of her new book The Pleasures of Cooking for One. Did you know she raises beef cattle at her farm in Vermont??? She does.

I'm sure they would ship you a copy if you want a signed copy for a friend for the holidays.

The Blog Tour Continues and Introducing THE QUARTERS CAP - a new PDF Downloadable Pattern from Kristin

2009-11-20T09:11:00.010-05:00

First off today, I'd like to thank Wendy Johnson of the immensely popular WendyKnits blog for participating in the Blog Tour for Color By Kristin. Wendy is also the author of the popular Socks from the Toe Up. and has a new book coming out next spring called Toe Up Socks for Every Body. Wendy asked me some interesting questions about how I developed the Julia Yarn. And she did a very thorough review of the book. Wendy has two copies of the book available in a drawing, so check out the post here. Thank you Wendy!

And thank you to all of you who have been ordering my new book signed by me through my on-line shop. I can't tell you how much buying direct from me helps us keep this little farm a-running. But please, if you have a local yarn or bookstore selling the book, pleeeeeeaase buy it from them! They need your business more than ever in these difficult economic times!

Now onto what's new here on the farm. I've been busy doing a bit of designing and desktop publishing. Actually, the designing and knitting has been done for eons - it's the desktop publishing that has been done of late. For the past couple years, I've had some lonely little patterns for sale on my website as PDF downloads. I have meant to add to the colletion but life has been too busy. It's only now that the Farmer's Markets are over for the season and that I am not working on another book that I have had time to learn Adobe Indesign and really get my on-line pattern shop going.

Just in time for holiday knitting, I'd like to introduce The Quarters Cap, now available in my shop for immediate down-load. This is the greatest little cap. Here's why you might want to knit one for family and friends for the holidays.

1. The Quarters Cap is knit back in forth in garter stitch with clever and EASY short row shaping to create the crown of the hat.

2. It is sized in 4 sizes - from Baby to Adults.

3. This is one of the most addicting projects I have ever designed. I think I have knit about 10 of these so far! I can't stop! Neither will you be able to....

4. The Quarters Cap is a great stash buster. I knit it with odds and ends of my Julia Worsted Weight yarn.

5. It is a colorful project, but not too hard or colorful for those color-shy knitters.

6. Teenage boys love this hat! My nephews (that's them in the photo) came from Brazil last Christmas without a warm hat. I knit these for them over the Christmas holiday and they never left the house without them. And you probably all know what a hard nut to crack teenage boys are!

7. The Quarters Cap can be knit color-blocked in 4 colors or striped in 2, 3 or more colors. Your imagination is the limit.

8. Men love this hat or let's just say The Farmer loves it. It isn't too tight because the garter stitch stretches out comfortably around the skull.

9. Little girls love this hat - just ask my Julia.

So, hop on over to my shop and order yourself up a copy of this pattern. It is $4.50 and only available here on my site www.kristinnicholas.com.

Thank you!

p.s. The pattern has been proofed by my fabulous tech-editor Lori and is professionally designed and published.

Colorful Feet from Color By Kristin

2009-11-19T09:10:00.005-05:00

First off, let me thank the lovely Anne of Knitspot for being part of my blog book tour. You can read her review of my book and an interview she did with me over on her blog post today. It seems that Anne is heading to is a big knitting retreat on the other side of "the hill" in Williamstown that I was not aware of organized by the brilliant Clara of Knitters Review who also has a new book out. (The Hill is the mountain range between here and there commonly referred to as "the Berkshires.") Oh, I am so out of the loop and in my own little world.... Maybe I will get to go one day.

That said, back to my world. I know knitters are starting to think about Christmas gifts and what they can make quickly for all their special people in their lives. Which leads me to the lastest project from Color by Kristin -- The Family of Slipper Socks.

Here's the back-story on this project..... When I was a little girl, my grandmother always made us Christmas presents - handmade nightgowns, crochet vests, lace choker necklaces with embroidered beads. Gram wasn't much of a knitter - in fact if you asked her, she would say she couldn't knit. And she really didn't knit much at all - except for one particular pattern for garter stitch slipper socks. I remember the first year Gram knit me a pair of her pom pom trimmed slipper socks for Christmas in a beautiful maroon color to match my bathrobe. I put them on and didn't take them off.... Every night, I wore them to bed and I credit those slipper socks for my habit of always wearing socks in bed! I loved them to death.

Many years ago, when I was working for TYC, I went on a yarn buying trip to Greece. It was a whirlwind trip full of adventures and misadventures (so much so that it could be an entire chapter in that memoir of mine.... just joking about the memoir). I had the chance to visit produce and bric-a-brac markets and pick up Greek made crafts. At one of the stalls in the antique market, I found 3 pairs of ancient, handspun, moth-eaten slippers.

I snapped them up, brought them back to the States and quickly stashed them in my freezer for safe keeping (so the moths in the US don't get at them). These handknit slippers are one of my favorite things in my textile collection, I must say.

Those Greek Slipper Socks are shown above. Knit at about 9 stitches to the inch out of very tightly handspun wool, I always wonder who made them. The other thing I wonder about it how they survived so long. They really are beautiful little works of knitting art.

For Color By Kristin, I wanted to include an easy version of The Greek Slipper Socks, designed at a friendly gauge of 5 stitches to the inch in my Julia Wool. This project is given in 5 sizes from infant to man's average. Surely you have a loved one who would like a pair of these to snuggle in all winter long! The project begins with garter stitch for half its length - what could be easier! Then it moves on to a little bit of colorwork. I finish the toe with a very easy what I call "mitten shaped tip" that works beautifully on a project like this. I could see adding a giant multi-colored pom pom to a pair of these. For the book project though, I wanted to keep it simple so that it wouldn't be too intimidating for newbie color knitters! Below are 3 of the slipper socks I knit for the book.

And lo and behold when I went to the mailbox the other day, I had a package waiting for me from my friend Therese Inverso. I love Therese's packages - they are always filled with some little textile treasure that she thinks I should add to my collection. In her latest envelope was two pairs of slipper socks. A red and white pair....

And an orange and black pair.

Both of them have little bits of embroidery on them. They seem to be knit of a handspun wool. Therese said her friend Camille knit them for her. Camille is from Iran. Don't you like the center point shaping and the band of colorwork around the upper sole? How lovely. And how lucky am I? Thanks so much Therese!

So you see, the slipper sock thing goes around the world, doesn't it? Make up a pair or two for a Christmas gift if you can fit it in. In fact, I think I'll try to make my little Miss Julia a pair. Poor kid - she's like the cobbler's children with barely a handknit item anymore, now that she is getting bigger.

Enjoy the day! And all of you knitters on the other side of "the hill," have a great time with Clara and crew! As always, don't forget you can order a signed copy of my book from my shop or purchase it at your local yarn store.

Planet Purl Tonight and Deborah The Jewel

2009-11-18T10:24:00.004-05:00

Time is very short for me today. I have a deadline looming and I am behind. What else is new here at Leyden Glen Farm? Don't forget to call into the Planet Purl interview with me tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. I would love to talk to you. You can find the information on the post below.

There's a lovely post about my friend Deborah Newton, the Author and Knitwear Designer, over on this lovely blog Knitting New England. Since I have no time to write today, I would love to point you over there. And yes, Deborah is the Jewel. She has been a friend of mine since my early days at Classic Elite. Deborah is one talented designer, illustrator, and genuinely lovely person. Pick up her book Designing Knitwear because it must be in EVERY knitter's collection!

Happy Day!

p.s. Thanks to Marly at Yarn Thing for the interview last night on her call-in radio show. It went nicely and I'm beginning to understand the call-in thing. Whew!

Susan's Itty Bitty Cuteness

2009-11-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

One of the nice things about doing books is that I frequently get to meet other authors at special knitting events such as trade shows and places like the Knit-Out and the giant Stitches Conventions. A couple of years ago I was invited to dinner to help promote my Kristin Knits book by the publisher Storey Books. Storey is owned by the giant publishing house Workman Publishing and so the dinner was a joint event with authors from all of Workman's publishing houses attending. We were in southern California in the winter which is a treat for me because it was warmish and there were flowers blooming in January.

I never know how these dinners are going to go. At this point in my career, I just go along and think about how I can promote my current project to get the book distributor to believe in my book and sell it. Going out to dinner with clients you don't know is always a challenge, no matter what industry. Sometimes I sit there thinking what I can say to entertain the person next to me. It can be a real struggle. And then sometimes there is serendipity as there was a couple years ago when I was asked to sit next to Susan Anderson, an author from Artisan (another Workman division).

I had seen Susan's beautiful books in the Itty Bitty Series published by Artisan. I had never heard of her and frankly wondered where this extremely talented designer had come from - basically out of the blue. Susan and I talked and talked and had a great dinner. I found out she was a mom to four kids and that she had a real passion for knitting and any kind of craft. She also told me her secret to getting everything accomplished was that she got up very early in the wee hours of the morning and knit! It was a delightful dinner, much to my surprise, and I had made a new friend in the knitting world. We frequently correspond now and we see each other at different trade and consumer shows.

Over the past couple years, we have both been working on new projects for upcoming books. I catch up with her once in a while and read her great blog. It was a nice day last week when I received a copy of her new book Itty Bitty Toys from her publisher Artisan.
As usual, Susan's new book is incredibly delightful. It is chock full of super cute knitted toys. As I turned the page, one toy was cuter than the next. I'll start out with Susan's rendition of "The Princess in the Pea." I've chosen this one because she used my Julia Yarn. Besides the "Princess" Susan knit several little mattresses and an amazingly cute little pea pod full of peas. How sweet!
My favorite projects from Susan's book are farm themed. No surprise there, right. Here's her adorable little lamb. I love the clodhopper feet she put on him, don't you? This little pink piggie is totally huggable for little ones. To me, he seems like a cross between a baby doll and a farm animal. Susan got his nose and big ears just right!
But I think my favorite project from the book is this reversible "cat and mouse." I can just imagine a little one spending hours flipping the toy from side to side. And it would be a great plaything to help a child develop their manual dexterity.
So, if you have any little ones in your life right now, run right out and buy this book! You'll have hours of creative knitting ahead of you. Even if you don't have little ones, knitting one of these little toys will make you smile. Check out Susan's blog now for a schedule of her upcoming events. Artisan is sending her on a Book Tour and she may be coming to a yarn or book store near you. I guarantee you will love to meet the lovely and talented Susan B. Anderson.

Live Interviews with Kristin this Tuesday and Wednesday

2009-11-16T12:05:00.003-05:00

I'm doing TWO live audio interviews this week via the internet. I'm not sure how all this works but some of you may know and are way more tech savvy than me. I'll be using my corded telephone in my studio to talk to you all - just picture that!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 17TH
10 p.m. to 11 p.m EASTERN Time
Yarn Thing with Marly Bird on Blog Talk Radio

Or feel free to call 347.539.5589 during the broadcast to ask a question.
Marly says the Chat Room opens 15 minutes before airtime.

Click here to listen or call in.
The show is also available as a podcast later via ITunes.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 18TH
8 p.m. Eastern Time
I'll be a guest on Planet Purl doing another live interview.

Click here to listen in or join in that chat.

I'll admit that I am such a newbie on this type of thing. I've been on many a podcast but they have always been taped. I'm happy to be learning about this "new" way to get the word out about my books, yarn, and work. Feel free to call in and ask me about my knitting, art, farm, or whatever!

Thanks to Tara at Soho for organizing all of it!

The Running of the Sheep

2009-11-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well, not exactly. Let me explain. Grazing was pretty much finished on the hill high above our farmhouse. Lambs are expected in December. It is almost Thanksgiving. It was time to think about moving our flock of 200 plus sheep closer to their winter lambing headquarters at our greenhouse barn in Bernardston. That barn is 4 about miles from where the sheep have been currenting grazing. The Farmer had made arrangements to have the sheep graze a large field closer to the greenhouse barn where pasture was still available.

Sunday was a beautiful day - warm and sunny after a miserable rainy Saturday. We made a quick decision to move the sheep. We could have rented a trailer but that would have cost a fortune. Instead, I got on the phone and called some friends. We needed a truck to slow down traffic ahead of the sheep. Yes, Mitch would do that. We needed a truck at the end of the sheep parade to buffer traffic impatient motorists anxious to get past and to pick up straggling helpers. Alice would do that. We needed another car to block the road so the sheep wouldn't take a left onto Eden Trail. Lynn would do that.

Along with all these adults came a gaggle of kids. I promised their parents the kids would be tired out, sleep well, and have fun time. And so off we went.

The Farmer and his trusty dogs left the house before the helpers arrived. He drove off to start the move, impatient to get the job done so there would be time to set up the fence before dark. By the time my posse of people got to the appointed meeting spot, there were no sheep, dogs or Farmer. We drove on and met up with him about a mile and a half down the road in a big field. The sheep were quietly grazing. It was time to get them moving.

The grass was tasty and they didn't want to leave. With the help of kids, parents, and mostly the dogs, they moved across the field. The big challenge was to get them up an embankment and onto the road in the right direction. After a few false starts, they began heading the way we needed them to go.

Sheep are followers. Once the flock started moving in mass, there was no where to go but up the hill. Off they went with Lynn's car blocking the way.

They turned the corner and we were on our way. You would probably be surprised by how fast sheep can move when they want to. They ran along at a fast clip - kids in hot pursuit, most of the adults hanging behind.

This driveway looked too good - off they went up it much to the neighbor's surprise.

The dogs rounded them back down the hill and they were off on the road again.

It was straight shot for awhile. We met a giant truck. The sheep just moved on by. Hope he wasn't in a hurry!

Down, down, down the hill we went. Here's the hairpin turn. The sheep and dogs were flying and all the kids were struggling to keep up. Never mind the grown-ups.

There was beginning to be a traffic pile-up. Oh well, you never know what you will run into around here.

Below the hairpin turn, the land flattens out to gorgeous green pastures and hayland. As predicted, the sheep thought it was too good to be true. At least it gave the traffic behind us a chance to pass by.

That's The Farmer trying to move the flock off the field. Surely there is a dog right there behind all those sheep.

We got them off the field, Eeyore the Donkey in tow.

Another lovely green field that was too good to pass up. That's this winter's haylage for the dairy cows down the hill in the big white marshmallows.

Boys will be boys - the bales were irresitable for a bit of jumping.

We were getting close but they just didn't want to go in the gate. Into the woods they went. After a few moments with some gentle prodding they turned back around.

Finally, they were where they are to spend the next couple weeks or so until the grass is done.

And here's the little team of helpers who had a great time.

What a fun way to spend a Sunday fall afternoon.

Hankering for Yarn and Cora Reappears

2009-11-13T10:54:00.009-05:00

The lovely Noreen Crone-Finlay, an author of many books, writes a blog for Bliss Tree called Hankering for Yarn. On it, she writes about her many projects - most of them fiber related. She really is a multi-talented designer. I know Noreen mostly for her beautiful, creative dolls.
Here's a link to Noreen's website.
Here's a link to her blog post about my book.

Noreen has some great PDF patterns for her different doll patterns for download which you can find here. Her self-published books are also available on her site here. You all should have a look!

Here's the line I like best from her review:
Prepare yourself to enter into a world of intoxicating color and texture!
Isn't that a lovely sentence?

Noreen's post is the start of the Blog Tour that the lovely Tara from Soho Publishing has organized for my new book Color By Kristin. I'll be posting links to the blogs as the reviews appear. Most of the bloggers are asking me questions and I'm answering them. It's been really interesting to see what they are interested in. I've had to think about the different questions - some more than others - before I respond.

If you are interested in being part of the blog tour, contact Tara at Soho. She is in on Thursdays and Fridays (she's a student also.) Tara is looking for blogs with reasonably high traffic. Her e-mail is:

tara@sohopublishing.com

I'll leave you with this photo of Julia and Cora. We took a nice long walk last Sunday. It was an amazingly warm day for November. As with most of our family walks, the sheep are somehow included. We had to hike way, way up the hill to see them. I get such a kick out of Cora. Every time Julia comes along, Cora steps out of the crowd of 200 plus sheep and has a little snuggle with Julia. It's amazing. Never have we had such an affectionate sheep. It's most amazing to us because our sheep are out on pasture 9 months of the year. Individual sheep don't get special attention, unlike a "backyard flock" which many shepherds keep. Cora is pregnant again so Julia is anticipating her lamb. Lots of the ewes are beginning to look pregnant. The Farmer is expecting early lambs - mostly likely sometime in mid-December. You know what that means here on the blog - lots of lovely pictures of little lambs coming soon!

Good weekend everyone!

Home Dec Color by Kristin Preview

2009-11-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

I've always had a serious love affair with ethnic textiles since I was young. I love their colors, their warmth, their crazy patterning, and the atmosphere they add to any situation you put them in. I've been collecting ethnic textiles since my college days. I'm always on the look-out for any odd piece of embroidery, weaving, or knitting. They don't have to be perfect and I even buy pieces. My budget isn't ever very large and I've passed up a lot because they were out of my price range. Suffice it to say, I've got a closet full of saris, Eastern European embroideries, Indian block prints, Andean weavings, Indonesian ikats, San Blas molas.... the list goes on and on. Whenever the seasons change - or I am throwing a party - I dig into my closet and bring out some different pieces and swap everything around. It's amazing how warm and cosy a house looks when you fill it with handmade textiles from around the globe.

The photo below is our dining room. On the table is a sari from India and layered over it is a runner from Uzbekistan (I think). The chair seats are covered with a sari woven with metallic thread. If you visited my house right now though it doesn't look anything like this - it is covered with books, packing supplies, address labels. You see, the dining room doubles as a shipping room for my retail book and postcard sales!

My ethnic fabric collection has been inspiring my color sense for years. About fifteen or more years ago, I started knitting pillows in the Fair Isle technique for my house. They were easy to carry around and work on and didn't take long to finish. I only knit the front side of the pillow and I used fabric to cover the back side. Here are a couple designs that I made many years ago - you can find the patterns for sale on my website here.

This design is called Turkish Motifs Pillow:

And this design is called Field of Diamonds Pillow:

Many years ago, they were both featured in House and Garden Magazine (January 2003). You can buy the patterns on my website. Sadly you can't buy House and Garden anymore. Boy, I miss that magazine coming in my mailbox.

And so now, onto the next preview from Color by Kristin. I'd like to introduce you to my newest collection of pillows - The Marrakesh Market Pillows.

These FOUR pillow designs are featured in my new book Color By Kristin. They are all worked in Fair Isle technique in the round with a steek and knit in my Julia Yarn. After cutting the steek, I pick up around all four sides and work a small border. Most of the pillows have embroidery added on top of the knitting - although not too much. There are four different sizes so you can choose how much knitting you want to do.

I love this photo. It was taken in our library where we spend most of our winter evenings. That's The Farmer's Chair he sits in and reads at night. You can see our stacks of magazines on the side of the chair. Julia added the deck of cards to the photograph. I think the cards and their colors added a great touch to the photo.

You can buy signed copies of my book on my website here or at your local book or yarnstore. I've got plenty in stock if you want to give them to a knitting friend for a holiday gift. And I'll be happy to sign it to them or not.

The Winner and Another Preview from Color By Kristin

2009-11-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all of you who entered the contest here and on the Webs Blog last week. The winner of the Webs/Color by Kristin prize is Carol O. Congratulations Carol! You are a very lucky winner. Please contact me or Kathy Elkins and we will get your prizes to you.

Now it is back to the previews from Color By Kristin...... Today, I want to show you the Many Hearts Baby Blanket - complete with Annika the kitten asleep on top of the project. She certainly has good taste, doesn't she?

I just love how this project came out! My concept was to design a baby blanket that could be made by a bunch of friends for an expectant mother. The project starts off by knitting 9 separate squares. The motif is a heart and it is worked in Fair Isle. Each square is a different combination of colors. My thought was that 9 knitting friends would each make one of the hearts. After the hearts are knit, they are sewn together using mattress stitch. They form a patchwork quilt-ish looking center. Using a long circular needle, someone will pick up around the pieced section. The stripes are made in garter stitch - worked in the round. At each corner, the increases are made to form the miter.

Here is a detail of the hearts after they are sewn together. You can see the added cross stitch and chain stitch which I did after the blanket was finished.

My idea was that each knitter would take the project home and add a stripe or two. As everyone added, the project would grow larger. The other option is that you could have multiple circular needles working your way around the square (as it got larger) so that people could knit as a group.

A handknit object for a baby is one of the most lovely gifts a new mom can receive. I know! When I was pregnant and at a TNNA show, Linda Pratt and Pat Chew organized a surprise Breakfast Shower for me. I received the most amazing handknit sweaters for my not yet born Julia. When she was an infant, she was covered in handknits from head to toe. As she grew, I was always sad when she stopped wearing a handknit that one of my friends had made. I still have them all in a bag in the attic - I just can't bear to part with them!

Which leads me to this fun and creative project that is traveling the world - The Big-Sock Project that I added a bunch of my knitted stitches to while I was at The Market at Stitches in Hartford. What fun! I'm not sure where the sock is now but listen up and add your knitting when it comes to a store or event near you!

Where Have the Sheep Gone?

2009-11-06T09:53:00.000-05:00

For the past month or so, the sheep have been grazing our neighbor's fields. They got rid of their dairy cows a few winters ago (you can read about that here if you are new to the blog). They hay many of the fields, but sometimes the hay doesn't get taken off and winter comes. If the fields don't get mowed, small trees, shrubs, and all kinds of plants will grow up quickly. It doesn't take long for a beautiful green pasture to become scrub land.

When The Farmer asked them if he could put the sheep on their land, they relished the chance of having the sheep mow and fertilize the fields. Every day, The Farmer heads way up the hill to check to see that the sheep made it through the night and that no incidences occurred. Incidences around here mean sheep jumping the fence, coyotes getting over or under the electronet fence. About a month back, we lost one adult sheep and two lambs to the coyotes. It is never an easy day when one of the sheep is killed.

Try as you may, this kind of stuff happens on a farm. I don't write about it too much because it seems to upset people quite a bit. I have had to get used to the death and destruction while living here close to nature. To tell you the truth, I can't believe how used to it I have gotten. I grew up a suburban girl but I can surely say now that I've become a country girl. When I got involved in farming over 25 years ago, I was really upset everytime a coyote killed a lamb. I didn't see the sense in it. But as I listened to The Farmer who has always lived with nature (and who happens to be the Voice of Reason in this household), I began to understand that every being has to eat. And when you raise sheep, they are sometimes food for the local coyotes, hawks, and bears - or whatever else eats our sheep and chickens. I'm telling you, sometimes I think I am living my life on "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" or a "National Geographic Wildlife Special."

So back to the sheep..... Disgusted as The Farmer was, and always trying to keep the wildlife out and sheep safe, he has now invested in a super high voltage charger for the electronet fencing. The snafu with this is he has to have a source of electricity to charge this high voltage system (or as he says "it will knock you down on your behind if you touch it Kristin"). Right now he is using an outlet in our neighbor's abandoned milkroom. The electric wire is strung a really long way. It crosses a wood road and he has it marked with some red cotton yarn of mine, hoping noone will drive a truck through it (shotgun deer hunting season starts next week). It's all a bit cobbed together but it is working for the most part and we haven't lost a sheep or lamb since he purchased this charger. The downfall to this thing is he always has to have a source of power. Previously, he used marine batteries to power the fence and although they are effective, they didn't throw enough current to keep the coyotes out.

I'm sure the coyotes will get in again and have a tasty dinner but for the time being, things are working. Eeyore, our guard donkey, does his job somewhat although stuff still happens. I got a first hand lesson in Eeyore's coyote techniques the other night when I was taking these photos. Julia and I were just about to leave the field. The sun was really going down quickly. We had to walk a wood road and get back to the truck. Wildlife starts coming out when the sun goes down. I know there has been a big bear in the vicinity and I really didn't want to run into him in the dark. I had the two dogs with me so I felt pretty safe.

As we were climbing over the fence, I turned around and Eeyore was stamping on Phoebe, our older Border Collie. He was then trying to pick her up with his teeth and throw her on the ground. Luckily I was able to call him off by screaming madly and rushing towards him but I was pretty scared for Phoebe. I know he is only doing his job and this is what he does to the coyotes. I suppose he thought she was fair game because she is a canine.

So there's a little farm update for you all. It is all in a day's work.

Thanks to everyone who came out to Webs. What a great bunch of people you all are. It was fun to meet everyone and show you all the projects from both Kristin Knits and Color by Kristin. The comment I liked best was - "Wow, the projects look so beautiful in the book but they are so much prettier and more amazing in person." And yes, I do agree with that, everything is always better in person! Being on this hill the other night taking photos of the sunset and the sheep - it was all even prettier and amazing in person.

Have a good weekend everyone.

(The house in the photos is a long ago abandoned house which is slowly decaying into the ground. I love to take photos of it - it has such a Andrew Wyeth quality to it, doesn't it?)

Early November Colors

2009-11-04T16:29:00.001-05:00

Beautiful late fall days here on our gravel road. I've been enjoying being out and about trying to soak up all the late autumn color. I know too soon that it's going to be really cold and not so pleasant for walking.

Red sumac against the cloudy grey sky

Tarnished yellow apples against grey bark

Changing sumac leaves against the gray forest

Leftover leaves before the wind blows

Rusty colored leaves against evergreens

An abandoned sugar shack blending into the gray and brown landscape

The abandoned house high up on top of the hill

From the field by the above house, the sky and landscape was so colorful

And finally, a sunset that was spectacular

Hope to see some of you tomorrow evening at Webs from 6 to 7:30!

Book Launch and Julia Yarn Giveaway!

2009-11-02T13:42:00.004-05:00

The big news continues! To celebrate the Book Launch of Color by Kristin, the fine folks at Webs and I are having a contest all this week ending on Friday. Kathy Elkins and I will draw a random winner on Friday. The winner gets a fabulous prize - a signed copy of Color by Kristin, the yarn for a project of their choice in the quantity for their size (if applicable) and the necessary needles, notions, etc. Pretty cool, huh?

Here's what you have to do to enter.

1. You have to read through this post over on the Webs blog and leave a comment.

2. Then you have to answer the following two questions leaving the answer in my comments section.

Question # 1: Have you ever done a steek and cut your knitting?
Question # 2: Have you ever added embroidery stitches onto your knitting or crochet?

Any more fun tid-bits you'd like leave are also welcome.

Remember, you must comment on both The Webs Blog and my "Getting Stitched on the Farm" blog.

Good luck! And as Kathy wrote, "let the commenting begin!"

Starving for Julia? The BIG News! And Book Launch for Color By Kristin

2009-11-02T13:00:00.001-05:00

I promised you all some news. So here it is... A few days late but exciting all the same.

On Thursday November 5th, I’ll be at Webs in Northampton, MA to launch my new book Color By Kristin from 6 to 7:30. This is the Book Launch - where I send it out into the ether and hope it flies! All of the projects from Color By Kristin will be there as will projects from my last book Kristin Knits.

Last Wednesday I taped a podcast interview with Owners Kathy and Steve Elkins from Webs. You can find the interview here on the Webs Yarn Blog. Kathy is delightful and enthusiastic and I thank her for inviting me to be on the show.

In addition, for all you internet readers and shoppers, I'm excited to announce that Webs is now carrying my Julia Yarn in their store and on their website. You can find Julia on their website here.

In addition to the Webs source for Julia Yarn, check your local yarn store. Here in the Pioneer Valley, Webs is just one of my local yarn stores and so it is very exciting for me that they have decided to carry Julia. Near you, your local yarn store may also carry Julia and I would hope that you would support them. Local yarn stores are quite like local bookstores, local clothing stores, and more. Local businesses have to fight to survive. Chain stores seem to rule America, as much as I dislike many of (but not all) them. It takes grit, determination, creativity, a possible bit of insanity and much more for a local yarn store to survive. Support them or they will disappear and you will be sad.

Sometimes I hear from knitters who would like to buy my Julia Yarn. Their local yarn store does not carry it and they want to knit the project just as I designed it in the colors I envisioned. They want to order the yarn from me. I’m not interested in selling yarn direct to knitters. I have no infrastructure for such a project, nor do I have the space to house bags and bags of yarn. My family would go mad and the cats would sleep amongst the balls of yarn. How would that be? Sounds like a nightmare for me.

I also strongly believe in the local yarn shop concept. So many yarn store owners are friends who I have know through over 25 years in the "yarn biz." I feel each and every knitting community needs a yarn store to service the knitters who live there. A yarn store is a great place for warm and fuzzy community. It certainly helps when I am in a needle crisis and can run right into pick up a spare set of 7 double pointed needles. (Tell me, where do they go? They seem to disappear at an alarming rate!)

There’s not a lot I can do from here on the farm to get yarn into your local yarn store. My Julia Yarn gets into your local shop via a sales presentation by a local sales representative who works for the fine folks at Westminster Fibers. My Julia Yarn is sold under the “Nashua” brand and those Westminster sales reps also sell Rowan, Gedifra, Regia, and more. When they call on a shop, they have less than a few hours to present all the lines they carry. Some of those reps choose not to show the Julia Yarn to the shopkeeper. And there goes your chance to buy Julia at your local store. Sometimes your local shop owner can’t afford to bring in another yarn and so they say no, maybe next year.

Me, sitting here on our farm, as you can probably understand, I have nothing to do with all of this. I send my Julia Yarn in beautiful colors out into the world, hoping the sales reps will show it and the yarn stores will buy it. If it doesn’t happen, I won’t know nor will I be able to do anything about it for you. For a fact, I know that there is not an inch of my Julia Yarn in the NY/NJ Metro area. What can I do….. Not a lot. Complain, oh yes. How far does it get me? Not far.

Color by Kristin Yarn Kits at Webs
So now, if you are living in those “Julia-starved” areas of the USA or Overseas, you can now purchase Julia from the fine folks at Webs. The very cool thing is that Webs has also built a Kit Option for all the projects in Color by Kristin. Each and every project from my new book along with photos, yarn amounts, needle sizes and more is listed on the Kits Page on their website. The website amazingly extrapolates by size each project, adds needles, the book and all. You can customize the order (don’t need needles, no prob). I can’t imagine how much programming this could have taken so the whole presentation totally blows me away. Check it out here and listen to the podcast if you like.

I’ll be at Webs in Northampton on Thursday from 6 to 7:30. Stop by if you are local or if you are up for an early November adventure! I’ll be happy to help you pick yarn for a Julia project and sign a copy of both Color by Kristin and Kristin Knits.

And... if you have been waiting to hear from me, I’m sorry. My modem broke two Thursdays ago before I headed off to Stitches. It is finally fixed and I am now back on-line digging through all the e-mails I haven't answered. Thanks to all for your patience. Julia Yarn at Webs Link Color By Kristin Kits at Webs Link See you all at Webs on Thursday Evening from 6 to 7:30!