Knit with a View

I love the movie Room with a View. Helena Bonham Carter was eighteen at the time of the filming and so pouty and adorable. Juxtapose Julian Sands in his free-spirited masculinity and what is there not to love? As I have watched this movie countless times before, it makes the perfect foil to knitting mindlessly and so I have. One does work up an appetite with the clicking of the needles and since Mary the house servant is not around to bring sandwiches, as at the Honeychurch establishment, I am left to my own defenses.

Fortunately, indeed, groceries included almond milk and eggs, Nutella, bananas and ice cream! So crepes it is. My latest kitchen purchase is a crepe pan which comes from Italy. A 10" round griddle which is now dedicated solely to crepes and is absolutely perfect for the job. Using a generic recipe but sibstituting the almond milk for whole milk elevates the eggy yum and obvious filling choices had my tastebuds twirling to the opera as Lucy discovered and admitted her true feelings and put an end to all the lying. Is it Italy, or truly Fate? Is there a distinction?


Ooooh, salivating!


Almost ready and must fight the urge to devour on the spot.


Too wonderful! Heavenly Hash makes all divine.

We progress from the Edwardian period, leaving Lucy and George, poor, poor Charlotte and even the deflated Cecil to sort out life, and fast forward to the twenties where my Smitty Cloche becomes the focus. Tossed five into the washer for fulling and now have the delightful task of creating embellishment for all. Hmmm, remains to be seen. What did you all think?



Darlings all in a row. Knitted, fulled and drying.


Perhaps will do. Pinned on a crochet cord bow, a la Clara Bow. Could be IT!

Knitting as always,

Lisa

Summer Production

TOMORROW we set up for yet another Friends of Rose Algrant Art Show. Fifty years this show has been happening! Always interesting and I have exhibited in this show every year since moving to Connecticut--- only 21 years for me.

Rose was my next door neighbor in the early years but she has been gone now for more than ten years. Fascinating little bitty woman who had arrived on friendly shores from France at wartime and worked milking cows and teaching French to support herself and her son. Her stories were much bigger than herself! Taught many years at the local private school and became friends with talented artists, writers, creative, performing and thinking people who used to grace her table and conversation. She pulled everyone together in her way of supporting the arts and her tradition eventually became the annual art show in Cornwall.

I have been knitting and embellishing and sorting through projects. Have pulled out about a dozen hats to take to the show. August weather is not often conducive to selling wool hats. I take a card table in and drape it with something in the center to elevate that spot. I then perch hats all around and on top over hat stands and hat stand stand-ins like vases and giant martini glasses inverted. Whatever works.

Over the years I have exhibited everything from my handwoven baskets to painted floorcloths, English smocking, decorative painting on furniture, quilting and, yes, even fine art every so often. Sometimes I even sell a piece or three. I love being a part of the show and get to get and give a kiss on the cheek to friends I haven't seen regularly. There will be artists of reknown, Robert Andrew Parker (I've had a crush on him for twenty years!), Marc Simont, Scott Zuckerman, Tim Prentice and also artists you've perhaps never heard of but whose work is lovely none-the-less. Sometimes newsy notes are added to the Cornwall CT website.

Meanwhile, also am preparing for Rhinebeck, aka NY State Sheep and Wool Festival. But will fill you in on that story another day.
I guess I'd better go finish up my list and tags for the exhibit.

xx,
Lisa

Fibergood and Finishing

So I couldn't stand it any longer, when I returned home from work the other night, and stayed up past the usual bedtime to over-dye a couple of yarn colors, coaxing them into even more radiant shades. Sherbet results are pleasing to the eye and now they are sherbet cakes after having been wound on my blessed contraption known as a ball winder. How I love that thing! Traditionally wound balls are a joy to behold but these yarn cakes are so convenient to stack and easy to pull the two ends at the same time for all this fulling madness. And did I mention beautiful? Oh yeah.

Today is my first day off for a solid week of days off and already the time is flying by much too quickly. I've got a gazillion things I'd like to do while home (yes, home) but am concentrating on finishing up some projects that have been languishing on the heap. Have finished an Amy Beret and a Smitty Cloche with the last of the details and also tossed several bits in the washer to full at lunchtime.

The Amy Beret is so fortunate that I went shopping last week and found these gorgeous beads. My intentions were to use these big girls as stitch markers for extra large projects but when I opened the package, they struck a chord and I immediately thought of this particular beret.

Very much a striking contrast against the mohair and the smaller seed beads swoop along underneath for drama. Notice how the random pattern of the mohair color helps lend the perfect backdrop. Makes me sigh....

Next, we move on to tackle a jaunty flapper cloche, the original Smitty which has been waiting ever-so-long for her embellishment. We have tried to keep this project going but every time I thought I had it right, my conscience was niggled into another direction. I had been trying to needle felt the spiral and spent hours on it only to rip it out again in frustration. The Look finally was achieved with the humble crochet hook and I worked the yarn right through the hat, gauging the width of the spiral as I worked. Pleased with that portion, I purchased flat black glass beads for the scattered trim. Vintage speaks, the crocheted bobbles dangle and add yet another textural treat for the illusion. Hmmm, visions of bobbed hair and blushing knees.

Enjoy! I think I'll go knit.
xx,
Lisa

New to the World

Is there anything more darned cute than a brand new prancing and curiously nuzzling baby? This doll is a prime example of adorable in its second day of life. I am told that Baby Iris is already running wildly around the barn and causing hysterical angst for her mother by the third day!
Iris is a baby miniature donkey. Her mother, Fiona, is a full-grown miniature donkey although she stands perhaps less than three feet tall. Both belong to my friend Tara along with Lukka the Icelandic pony who is a whopping thirty five years old! They live in a neighboring area that is delightful on a sunny summer day, rare, indeed, this year.
I grabbed another donkey-loving fiber friend and we visited the farm for the day, enjoying our time snapping photos of the newborn and progressing to the deck for egg salad sandwiches with asparagus and also fresh carrots from Nan's garden. We talked fiber and RHINEBECK and soaked in some sun. Delightful is the only way to describe the day! Don't you LOVE dear friends?!
Returned home to my kitchen and could not resist the pull of the wool--- mixed a little magic in over-dye fun. I promise pictures will follow.

Blessings,

Lisa