Reflections, A Few Days Away in Maine + Henry + More

Thanks to everyone for all the comments and thoughts on Monday's post. I am still processing my thoughts on the "world without Classic Elite Yarns." I left there many years ago (2000) but I still had many connections with the new owner Betsy Perry and many of the original staff I worked with many years ago. 

It is very sad to see a long term business disappear - especially when it has been part of the basics and core of the knitting and yarn store community for over 30 years. Perhaps that is why it could not survive - because it was always deemed as steady and would always be there and not the hot young thing. Consumers almost always rush to the newest greatest thing with their dollars - that is just human nature. Yarn companies cannot continue to build new lines and inventory without moving the old inventory out. That is why yarn lines don't hang around for very long - products have to be moved out to make room for the new inventory. If not, more and more space would need to be rented to store it all. As knitters and fiber artists, we all know the problem - use up the old in order to make room for the new. Using up can be donating to a charity, giving it away, having a yard sale, selling it on-line, or just tossing it because the moths have eaten it. 

I know that the folks at Classic Elite Yarns must be happy to be hearing from so many of their long time fans. If you have a moment and you feel like it, post a comment on their blog post "Saying Good-by is Hard."

Last week, Julia and I had a chance to get away from the farm. We drove hours and hours to the coast of Maine and then took a ferry seven miles out into the ocean. We stayed with our good friend Sally and had a wonderful time. I thought I would get tons of work done. I did dig out my gouache and worked on a few paintings. I made more crochet hexies every evening as we sat watching favorite movies. The weather was overcast and cold until the last two days. We did get to the beach for a nice picnic on the rocks. But mostly - this is bizarro I know - I dug through Sally's pile of old issues of The World of Interiors looking at photos and articles that I had forgotten and reading stories about fascinating houses and places I will never go. I very easily could have done this at home with my piles of magazines but I am always distracted with other things to do. 

Look what we came home with..... A new little male island kitten we have named Henry Lee Mackerel Cove. 

I know - why do we need a new kitten you ask? Well we probably don't but we have a few older cats that probably are getting to the end of their days. I have always wanted an island cat and now we have one. He is very sweet and is settling in with the rest of the cats. We have a new litter of kittens and their mama Mittens is letting Henry nurse with her other 3 babes. He is the largest kitten in the photo below. He is having fun playing with the babies even if he is 3 weeks older. They are learning to stick up for themselves and fight him back. I think he is going to be a big guy and I am hoping he will have long hair. Time will tell. 

While I was away, my garden got tilled by 86 years young Doug and his trusty tractor. On Monday, I went to my favorite plant source in the world - Walker Farm in Dummerston, Vermont. I picked up almost enough annuals to fill my half my garden with veggies and cutting flowers. The other half of the garden will have sunflowers in it - seeds are ordered and hope to get them in next week.   

I have found a new podcast that I am enjoying - it is called Hello Atelier. Thanks Abby for including a link in your newsletter. 

I have also just re-discovered a blog that has a good YouTube Channel called Quintessence: Living Well with Style and Substance. You can subscribe to it here. Here is one of their newest videos that I really enjoyed. 

This quote resonated with me: "We are definitely more is more people."

Have a good weekend everyone.