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Fiber Festivals, Sweater Knitting & More

Knitting Notions booth Scenic Stitches Fiber Festival 2026

Since my previous post, I have been to my first festival of 2026. There is some knitting and reading to report and a new product to show you.

FIBER FESTIVALS

The Scenic Stitches Fiber Festival was awesome again this year. It’s nice to have a close to home festival for a change. This is not the only local show for us. Later this month, March 27-28, we will also be at the Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival in Dickson. I love this one too and it’s even closer. I get to go home each night.

The next fiber festival on my schedule, however, is coming up next weekend. The Carolina Fiber Festival in Raleigh, NC is March 13 -14 this year. I have been vending at this festival for a long time. I am not positive when I began, but I think it may have been 2008 or 2009. It is always a great show for us.

NEW PRODUCT

I mentioned that we are trying out a new mini-sized nostepinne. They aren’t on the website yet but we have them in the booth. They were well received at Scenic Stitches, so we are currently making more. As soon as I get time and more inventory, I will get them listed on the website.

KNITTING

I completed Elijah’s raglan sweater before leaving for Chattanooga. I haven’t gotten a modeled picture of it, so you will have to settle for what I have.

My knitting has resumed on my Linen blend Summershine Top. I am currently almost to the underarm bind off on the front body piece now. Since the back and both sleeves are complete, I will be seaming this up soon.

hand knitting sweater piece — Summershine Top front piece

The lacy project I want to make next is still undetermined. I am considering making a sport weight version of my Flames and Lace stole. I haven’t had a chance to explore any other possibilities yet.

Since my last post I have read the two books which I listed there as current reads. They are:

That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk – This was okay, so I rated it 2 stars. I liked it the least of the three books I have read by this author. The characters felt a bit flat to me.

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown – This is exactly what you expect from Dan Brown. His writing style is not fancy or eloquent but it is entertaining. What’s fun about his Robert Langdon series is the discovery of the mystery. He is also a master of pacing. The short chapters and suspense make for a compelling read. I also appreciate the lack of explicit violence and spicy scenes, despite there being a romantic subplot. I rated it 4 stars for entertainment value.

Currently Reading:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – This is my 3rd time reading this well known classic. Everyone is reading this right now due to the recent adaptation. I have absolutely no plan or desire to see it, but all the discussion inspired me to revisit the book to refresh my memory of it. I am enjoying it a lot.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – I have read this once before, probably about 30 years ago. I have had it in my list for a reread for a long time. It is my pick for March of the Mammoths this month. I am reading the Penguin Classics version which is the only one with the Robin Buss translation. I have heard it is superior to the anonymous version, which is what I read the first time. I am only on the second chapter so far.

CONCLUSION

That’s it for now and as always thank you so much for reading!

Posted on March 7, 2026March 7, 2026 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Yarn Dyeing Days and Other Production Updates

We have gotten the yarn dyeing done and are working on other production, specifically new Nostepinnes. I have some knitting and reading updates too.

YARN DYEING

You have many times been kind enough to indulge me while I rattle on about my yarn dyeing processes, and I thank you for your patience. I won’t bore you with great details, but I will briefly outline our timetable.

I spent a couple afternoons plus a couple of full days on the dye preparations. It took me another full day to get all the yarn prepared for it’s batches.

We spent three days at the dye pots getting the dyeing done and the yarn mostly dry.

It took me a day and a half to do the printing, cutting, and organizing of the labels. I got all the yarn labeled and stored over a period of 4 days. I also tackled and filed our income tax return on the following day. Yay! I was glad to have gotten that accomplished with a week to spare before our first festival of 2026.

FIBER FESTIVAL

I will be driving to Chattanooga, TN on Thursday for the Scenic Stitches Fiber Festival. I was pleasantly surprised, last year, with the attendance. It was the inaugural year and sometimes it takes a little time for a new show to gain traction. I am excited to see how this year goes. I am not sure what knitting I will be taking with me.

KNITTING

I have a couple unfinished projects that I should return to, and I probably will, for at least one of them. That project is the Summershine Top. I am nearly done with it. I just need to finish the back, seam it and knit the collar.

I have almost finished with Elijah’s raglan sweater. The only knitting that remains is the collar. I have the sleeves blocking and I will seam it together as soon as they are dry.

I feel the itch to begin a new lace project, but I don’t have anything definite picked out yet. I will try to be sensible and finish the other sweater first. It will be perfect for wearing soon as the weather warms up.

KNITTING TOOLS PRODUCTION

I mentioned in my last post that we were working on some more Nostepinnes. We added some to the inventory last week.

We are also currently trying out a new version for winding mini-skeins and remnants. These will be just slightly smaller overall than our regular Nostepinnes. I find them a handy size to carry in my knitting bag for re-winding those little leftover remnants. They are also great for winding mini- skeins, like you see with advent sets and such. We will try them out this spring and see how well they appeal.

READING

I’ve finished some books since the first of the month. The first three, I told you about in my last post:

Currently Reading:

That Night in the Library by Eva Jurcyzk – I started this one as my Audible read after finishing Heart the Lover. It’s okay so far but the characters are a bit flat. Plot is interesting enough to keep me listening to see what happens.
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown – my oldest son gave me this for Christmas. I read all but one of the previous volumes in the Robert Langdon series. These are always entertaining even if the prose isn’t spectacular. I am enjoying it and it is actually making me read past my bedtime. 🙂

CLOSING

As always, I appreciate your time. Until next time, take care!

Posted on February 22, 2026February 22, 2026 by yarnmama — 6 Comments

A Bit of Catching up

I owe you quite a bit of catching up. I did not intend such a long break between posts. The larger the gap got, the harder it became to start. There’s knitting, business, life, and reading to update you about, so let’s begin with knitting.

KNITTING

I have one project on the needles that I am currently working on. That is a sweater for my youngest son. He picked it as one of his Christmas presents.

He wanted a light-blue sweater. I had to purchase the yarn because, if you can believe it, I was lacking that in my stash. I ordered some Cascade 220 from Webs in mid- December and cast on around Christmas week.

Cascade 220 knitting A Bit of Catching UP

Cascade 220 sweater knitting A Bit of Catching Up

The pattern is a basic pieced raglan pullover knit with a waffle-weave stitch pattern. I have completed and blocked both of the body pieces. I am almost finished knitting the first sleeve. I have most of two skeins left from the six that I ordered, so I should have plenty to complete the project.

I also finished knitting the Mystery Musikal Shawl by Stephen West. I am quite happy with it. There was only a tiny bit of the yarns I used left. I used all of the Heather( the darker purple). More details can be found at the Ravelry link to my project page.

Mystery MusiKAL Shawl knitting Pre-blocking A Bit of Catching Up — Before blocking

I have one other project still partially completed and on hold since October, when I began knitting the Mystery Musikal Shawl. That is my Summershine Top. I plan to pick that back up, I think, when I finish my son’s sweater.

BUSINESS UPDATES

In December and January we finished working on two big batches of Cherry Yarn Swifts.

In mid-December we added a new polishing wheel to our shop. After seeing what a lovely job that did on our new batch of Darning Eggs, I couldn’t resist pulling out all the rest of the inventory, including all the Nostepinnes, and upgrading them. It took a couple of days, but it was worth the effort. They look even more amazing than they were before. I apologize that I neglected to get any pictures. Maybe next time.

We have some new Nostepinnes currently in production. During January, we received 17 boxes of yarn to dye. I am working on dye preparations right now. Dyeing will probably happen sometime in the next week, weather permitting.

LIFE UPDATES

Speaking of weather, the second half of January has certainly been interesting.
As you may have heard, Nashville got hit especially hard by Fern. At first, we were supposed to be getting all snow, maybe as much as one foot. The storm shifted and what began as 5- 6 inches of snow, turned to sleet, and then freezing rain for a whole day. That happened on Sunday, January 25th.

We lost power around 9 am that day. The temperatures plummeted and we didn’t get our electricity restored until Tuesday afternoon, around 2:30 pm. Many were without power for a lot longer.

My birthday was on Monday, so not a fun one, but it’s fine I got over it. We survived using our propane for heating a couple rooms and doing some rudimentary cooking. I made myself a carrot cake later that week and did a little books hopping the following Sunday.

We have also dealt with a couple rounds of minor illnesses in January and early February, but we are better now and will hopefully remain so.

READING

Since I mentioned books, let me update you on what I have been or am currently reading.

December/January Reads:

These Silent Woods – Kimi Cunningham Grant ****
The Haunting Season – Various Authors***
The House Next Door – Anne Rivers Siddons****
The Final Girl Support Group – Grady Hendrix***
The Dept. of Rare Books and Special Collections – Eva Juczyk****
A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens (read this every December)*****
A tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens****
The Winter Spirits:-Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights – Various Authors****
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton****
Lessons – Ian McEwan***
Black Woods, Blue Sky – Eowyn Ivey****
The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro*****
Mornings on Horseback – David McCulloch ( read with Elijah for school)***

Currently Reading:

After Midnight – Daphne Du Maurier
The Last House on Needless Street – Catriona Ward
The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge – Calvin Coolidge ( reading with Elijah for school)

CLOSING

That seems like enough for now. I hope that this breaking of the ice will help to get me back to a more normal posting interval. Take care until next time and as always, thank you for reading.

Posted on February 5, 2026February 5, 2026 by yarnmama — 4 Comments

Festivals, Yarn Dyeing, and Knitting; Oh My!

There has been a lot going on since my last post. There have been festivals, yarn dyeing, knitting, and more.

Festivals

I wanted to write this post so many times in the last three weeks. By the time the days priorities were completed, I had no steam left.

The first weekend in September, after Labor Day, I was in Jefferson, WI for the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. What a great weekend it was too! The weather was cool and sunny. It was super busy all three days. I left totally exhausted and needing to dye more yarn. More on that in the next section.

Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival Knitting Notions booth

The third weekend in September, was the 29th annual Wool Gathering at Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, OH. This is an outdoor event in big tents. The weather was hot and sunny for setup day on Friday and also on Saturday. It was cloudy with some afternoon showers on Sunday. The attendance was great even in the heat. Thanks to all who support the vendors no matter what the weather. :-) I especially enjoyed seeing Maureen of KnittingIsSoFun blog. It was so lovely chatting!

wool gathering festival Knitting Notions booth

I had a short day and a half at home, and now I am on the way to Winchester, VA. This coming weekend is the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival. I drove halfway up today and will finish the drive tomorrow. I will be setting up the booth on Friday. I am excited to see another blog friend there over the weekend. :-)

Yarn Dyeing

So, as mentioned above, after Wisconsin Sheep &Wool Festival, there were some gaps in the yarn inventory. I wasn’t out of anything yet, but the weekend between the two festivals was my only time home long enough to re-dye some yarn. So, yarn dyeing was what we did on the second weekend in September.

I spent most of three days getting the dye and yarn prep work done. Saturday and Sunday were dyeing days, and Monday and Tuesday was spent labeling and storing. Wednesday was packing for Wool Gathering. I had one day after returning from Ohio to reload the trailer with a few things and pack my stuff again. That brings me up to today where I am now, in southwest Virginia for the night. Whew!

Knitting

It will probably not be a surprise that not a lot of knitting has happened in the last three weeks. I did manage to complete the knitting of the back piece of my Summershine Top. I have begun and knit the ribbing for the front piece, but that is it.

I may be planning to knit the Stephen West MKAL when it launches. I will be in VA that week with a few days to rest between festivals. I have not picked what colors of Classic Merino Superwash Sock I plan to use. I’ll let you know in my next post. This year’s palette is four colors, and I will probably do a gradient set. Is anyone else taking the plunge this year?

Reading

I’ll end this post with a reading update of what I have finished and what I am currently reading.

During my drive to and from Wisconsin, I ended up listening to Gilead**** by Marilynne Robinson. I enjoyed the story but I don’t know that I will read the other books in the series.

During my drive to and from Ohio, and still continuing during my drive to Virginia, I am listening to Blackwater: The Complete Saga by Michael McDowell. This is classified as Horror, but honestly it’s not that really. It’s more of a family saga with a weird monster/supernatural element. The prose isn’t bad, but it’s not fancy either. I am enjoying the story even if it is a bit strange.

I am almost finished with my bedtime reading; Light in August by William Faulkner. Now this one is some fine prose. I love Faulkner’s writing. I am enjoying the story too. Definitely a ****1/2!

I started The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith/J.K.Rowling. I only read the first 12 chapters though. I decided to save it until I finished Faulkner so I can devote ALL my attention to it this week. I am excited to really dig in soon!

Okay, I am kinda tired and really to chill for the evening. I’ll be back soon. Thanks for reading!

Posted on September 24, 2025September 24, 2025 by yarnmama — 2 Comments

Currently Knitting and Reading in Pittsburgh

I am currently knitting and reading in Pittsburgh on my two day break before the Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival.

Travel and Festivals

I’ll get to the knitting and reading in a moment but let’s talk about my travels first.

Last weekend was the Michigan Fiber Festival and it was indeed a hot one this year. The crowds were a bit smaller this year, probably due to the heat. We still sold lots of stuff and thanks to all who came out to support the vendors! You can see my latest booth sample in my Classic Merino Bamboo hanging on the end of my yarn displays. It got some interest.

Knitting Notions booth Michigan Fiber Festival 2025

I drove to Pittsburgh on Monday. I had a nice drive over and arrived in the early afternoon. I got checked in and unloaded at the hotel and then went to the nearby grocery to restock a few provisions.

I am currently having a two day layover before setting up the booth on Thursday. I am enjoying just hanging out with my books and my knitting. I am pretty easily entertained. :-)

The festival is over three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Check the link above if you would like more details. If you are in the area, please stop in and say hello. My booths are in the Green Tree Ballroom.

I’ll be on my way back to Nashville on Monday. Even though I am enjoying my time here I am also looking forward to going home. Twelve days is a long time to be away.

Knitting

Okay, so I have had less time to knit that it seems I should have. The truth is that until Monday evening after I arrived here, I didn’t have much downtime in Michigan. I didn’t bring my knitting to the booth since it was hot and I thought I wouldn’t have knitting time anyway.

I had begun the body of my Summershine Top before leaving Nashville. I have made progress. I have worked through two and a half repeats of the chart.

Reading

In my last update I told you that I was re-reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I finished that yesterday and it was glorious as always. This was what I brought in the booth to occupy me in the slower periods of the day. I have the physical book, but I also have the Barnes and Noble Classic edition on my Nook.

While I was driving up to Michigan last Wednesday, I did start listening to Beach Music***** by Pat Conroy. Oh my goodness! His writing and storytelling are unbelievable! If you have not read him, you should, if you enjoy beautiful prose and excellent charter driven books. I am not finished with this yet but it is a 5 star read for me already.

I also began a re-read of Light in August by William Faulkner, for Faulkner in August. I am only on the first chapter, but again the writing! I don’t remember liking this as much last time but I am very in to it this time. It’s funny, I looked up my prior review on Goodreads, and I read it in August of 2012. I guess, I am in the habit of reading Light in August in the month of August which seems appropriate, yes?

Okay, I’ll close for the moment and see you in the next one. Thanks for reading!

Posted on August 20, 2025August 20, 2025 by yarnmama — 2 Comments

New Knitting and Fiber Festivals

I have a new knitting project on the needles. I am also back on the road vending at several fiber festivals this month.

New Knitting

After completing my latest lacy top, Muqarnas, I am returning to a project I paused last summer. Do you remember the Summershine Top? I knit a sleeve in this yarn, Paton’s North American Linen. Instead of completing the project I thought, this would make a great booth sample in my Organic Cotton Sport. So I knit up this.

Now I am returning to the design to finish one for myself. It is a fun knit. There’s just enough detail to keep it interesting. I also like making pieced tops, especially with cellulose fibers, for the structure that seams give. I also prefer having smaller pieces of knitting on my needles. Sometimes a seamless sweater, especially an adult sized one, can be cumbersome.

So, I completed the second sleeve and cast on for the back piece while I was in Charlotte, NC last weekend. Which brings me to my next topic.

Fiber Festivals

I was in Charlotte for the Southern Comforts Fiber Market. I enjoyed my summer at home but it is also nice to get back out among knitters at the festivals. I appreciate seeing other peoples knits, visiting with other vendors and customers, and helping people pick out their next projects.

Knitting Notions booth Southern Comforts Fiber Market

At the end of each day, I also look forward to some down time in my hotel room to recharge. I am very introverted, and I need my alone time too, no matter how much I love the days in the market. My favorite thing to do after the work of the day is over is to knit for an hour or two and then snuggle up with a book. I usually like to have a beer or a glass of wine too, to help unwind.

I had three nights at home after returning from Charlotte. I am all packed and ready to load up the truck for Michigan in the morning. It is time for the wonderful Michigan Fiber Festival. This is a much larger show and has been around for decades. I look forward to it every year. Sometimes it is refreshingly cooler there than it is here in the Southeast, but I think it may be it bit warm this year. At least I am used to it. :-)

Reading

Speaking of curling up with a book, what are you reading this week?

I am currently re-reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This is one of my favorite Austen novels and also in my top 10 Classic novels. It is just so perfect isn’t it?

I finished reading Three Days in June by Anne Tyler and give it **** . I actually read/listened to another book by her this past week. It was A Spool of Blue Thread. This was really good! A family saga type story with well developed characters. There were a few surprises to keep me wanting to know more. I gave this one **** too. I am pretty generous with my stars unless I don’t get on with a book. :-)

I also read another book by Jane Smiley, A Thousand Acres. I listened to it mostly while driving and setting up the booth last week. It is a solid **** read also. It is a very character driven story of the family drama sort. I like those sometimes.

I am thinking about starting Beach Music by Pat Conroy on Audible for my drive tomorrow. I read Prince of Tides several years ago. According to my Goodreads record I gave that a high score, so I will probably like this one. It is very long audio book, so that it perfect for all the long drives in my upcoming week. I’ll let you know next time if that is what I end up listening to.

See you soon and thanks for reading!

Posted on August 12, 2025August 12, 2025 by yarnmama — 6 Comments

Summer Top Knitting and Reading

This will be a quick update on my summer top knitting and also my summer reading.

Knitting

We will get to the knitting first.

I am excited that I have joined on the sleeves to the body on my Muqarnas. I am making good progress on the raglan decreases now.

Muqarnas knitting Classic Merino Bamboo yarn sleeves joined

When the sleeves are first knitted onto the body, for my size, you only decrease on the body sections for awhile. I am past that point now, and I am knitting all eight decreases every other round. It is going well, except for the head scratching at times. I have to figure for myself how to keep the lace going and still ensure the decreases are accomplished. The decreases aren’t charted, in other words. You have to assess on every decrease round to work it out.

Muqarnas knitting Classic Merino Bamboo yarn

I do like how it is looking so far. I steamed the body before I joined on the sleeves. You can tell where the new knitting above the joined sleeves is, by that front center marker, and the more crinkly stitches.

My favorite feature is the lace pattern that goes doubled up the side seams and is split into singles at the raglan decreases. I haven’t checked the gauge. I am waiting for the wet blocking and hoping for the best.

Reading

In my last post, I shared my June reads and my (then) current July reads.

Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen (reading for Jane Austen July) A re-read for me which I thoroughly enjoyed *****
Memorial Days – Geraldine Brooks (first read of this author, reading to fulfill a Kindle Challenge, borrowed in Libby) I liked this one enough that I picked up Horse to read in the near future ****
Complete Stories of Eudora Welty (about halfway through this book which is actually 5 published collections in one volume) Still dipping into this a few times a week.

Recently Finished and Currently Reading

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Levin – So many people recommend this one, so I had to see what all the fuss was about. It was okay, but maybe just not for me. I am not into gaming, but the story was interesting most of the time. ***
Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster – This was good and a short read, which is perfect for summer. ****
Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash – I picked this up because of the cover and the summary. I am a sucker for a book with a title/art that is sea/ocean themed. It’s also WWII era historical fiction. Sign me up! I am still reading this and I am really enjoying it!

Shop Updates

We have some new Darning Eggs in the shop this week. We have been working on re-stocking the Walnut, Maple, and Hackberry. Production is currently on pause while Jerry is working on another project.

Do you remember in December 2023 when the tornado totaled my brand new trailer? We haven’t known what to do with it. The insurance paid us about half what we paid for it but didn’t salvage it. Last spring Jerry stripped it to this point. I jokingly referred to it as a “gorilla cage” which of course he must have broken out of.

We didn’t know for sure what to do with it at that point. So, there is sat for over a year. He finally decided to just strip it down to a flatbed frame and see what we can do with it. The tires are practically brand new. They alone are worth over $1000 to buy new. We hated to just junk it and keep the tires for my current trailer.

So, I have no idea what will come of this, but I’ll keep you posted.

Posted on July 22, 2025July 22, 2025 by yarnmama — 5 Comments

Summer Activities: Knitting, Dyeing, and More Fun

It is high time for a catching up post about our summer activities. There will be some content about my knitting, reading, yarn dyeing, and a few other odds and ends.

Knitting

First, let’s get right to the knitting content. I am working exclusively on the Muqarnas top. In my last post, I showed you the finished sleeves and the ribbing for the body section. At this point I have knit 4 of the lace repeats on the body section. The intended length of the body before joining it with the arms, is 14 inches. I have almost 9 inches right now. According to my measurements, I need to knit about 3 more lace repeats to reach that goal.

I am looking forward to that milestone. It will slow down the progress even more at first. The addition of the sleeve stitches makes the rounds longer, after all. The momentum of the decreases makes the progress much faster at that point. I can’t wait to see how the finished top looks! I love how lace changes after blocking. It is worth the wait!

Yarn Dyeing and other Business Stuff

The first half of the festival season came to its conclusion for us in early June. Our last spring show was Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival in Franklin, IN. It was another fantastic year and I am so pleased to be a witness to the growth of this festival over the years. I began with the show in 2008, and it is one of my favorites now. I’ll share a few pics from this year.

Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival 2025 Knitting Notions booth

Upon returning to Nashville, we went straight into yarn dyeing time. I spent about a week with dyeing preparations. This involves lots of math and spreadsheet work, dye stock mixing and final color mixing. Then more math and spreadsheet work to make work order plans. Then finally, get all the yarn prepped. For me, that means bundling and soaking for the dye pots.

Knitting Notions Yarn dyeing — mixing dye stocks

Other preparations were also some much needed upgrades to our “dye and finishing studio”. This area is in our daylight basement which opens out onto the covered patio area we built 5 years ago. I have been relying on clip on shop lights on the floor joists and portable fans in hot weather. We decided to install a large fan that is suspended from the joists. Even more exciting, to me anyway, are the ceiling shop lighting. We got 4 of these and they sure do make a huge difference! I love how much better I can see. This is particularly important when measuring stock to mix colors. Notice in the above right picture, that was before we installed the new lighting.

We accomplished all the dyeing of the yarn in three sessions over one weekend. It was hot and mostly dry that week. That is a bit of a con for the dyers, but a pro for getting the yarn dry.

The following week, we got all the labeling and storing done. Now we are all set for the fall festivals. I have extra yarn in the event that we need to dye anything that runs low. The only catch will be time to do it.

In other product news, the wood shop has been in full operation all spring also. We have been adding a lot of Shawl/Hair Sticks to the inventory. Lately, that has been some Walnut, Mahogany, and Maple.

Currently, we are working on some more Darning Eggs. These were hot sellers around Christmas time and for a few months after that, so the inventory got a bit low in some woods. We are out on a few also, but more will be in stock soon! I will be back out at festivals in early August, and we should have plenty more by then.

Reading

Let’s switch topics to a bit of book chat. First, I would love to hear what you’re reading lately if you want to share in the comments.

I am making my way through my TBR but I am also a bit of a mood reader, so there have been many diversions. They were good ones though, and that’s the important thing.

My most exciting report is that I finished my re-read of War and Peace. I am so glad that I took my time with it. It took me 6 months, but it was time well spent. I definitely have a fuller understanding and appreciation for what Tolstoy was doing with this work than I did after my first read 13 years ago. If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to have a go at it. The chapters are pretty small so even if you only set a goal of a chapter a day, you can read it slowly through over a year. Anna Karenina is a bit more engaging, character wise, but War and Peace is just so magnificent!

Other books that I have read in June are:

Never Flinch – Stephen King (*** okay but not one my favorites)
Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier (**** a re-read sparked by reading The Trackers; really liked it!)
The Wedding People – Alison Espach (**** first read of this author due to a BookTube recommendation; liked it)
A Month in the Country – J.L. Carr (**** same as above; very good short summer read)

Currently reading:

Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen (reading for Jane Austen July)
Memorial Days – Geraldine Brooks (first read of this author, reading to fulfill a Kindle Challenge, borrowed in Libby)
Complete Stories of Eudora Welty (about halfway through this book which is actually 5 published collections in one volume)

Closing

As always, thank you for reading and hanging in there when I let the grass get too high. I will attempt to post before another month goes by. Blessings!

Posted on July 4, 2025July 4, 2025 by yarnmama — 11 Comments

Festivals and Knitting

Today’s post will be a brief update on festivals and knitting.

Festivals

I am currently waiting out the storms in Lexington, KY. The Kentucky Sheep & Fiber Festival is tomorrow and Sunday. We are supposed to be setting up today. The severe weather expected today and tonight has put a change in that plan. My booth is under the Pavillion, but there are no sides. I brought my tents but with the possibility of strong wind, we were all advised today that it may be best to set up in the AM. They are giving us a few extra hours tomorrow before the festival opening at 10 AM.

I was at two festivals in the interval between this one and my last post. I was in St. Louis for the Midwest Fiber Festival, the last weekend in April. It was fabulous and fun as always!

I had a weekend at home, in which I dyed a small batch of @250 skeins of yarn. Then, it was off to MN for the Shepherd’s Harvest Festival on Mother’s Day weekend. It was unusually warm and sunny, and the turnout was great.

Knitting

Now on to the knitting part of my post. I have sadly little to show you. As you can guess my knitting time is limited. I did manage to work up a swatch for the Muquarnas. I knit that in the stitch pattern in my Classic Merino Bamboo on US 5 needles. After I measured the swatch, I decided to go down one needle size to US 4. Instead of swatching again, I cast on for the first sleeve.

While in the hotel room this morning, I finished the sleeve and steam blocked it. It looks to be close enough on gauge, so I will proceed with the second sleeve. Here’s the first one in the Rose color I am using for the top.

Reading

I suppose I owe you a reading update too. I am still reading War and Peace and the Eudora Welty Short Stories Collection. I am sorry to report that I bailed on Lonesome Dove. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with it. I’m sure it is as great as everyone says it is. It’s just me. I have never liked westerns. Also I can’t read the third book in a four book series, without reading the whole thing. I thought I could, but I just can’t. And I am not up for a series of four large books that I am not into. So, there you go. The itch is scratched, and I am moving on.

I am reading a few horror books for Horror Mayhem (May Booktube event). I came across Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak and I really got drawn in to it quickly. I guessed part of the ending before I got there but there were still surprises. I recommend this one if you like a mystery that’s a little creepy. The illustrations were very cool too.

I am currently re-reading the Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. I am a big fan of here writing. I was first introduced to her work in school at some point when we read The Lottery. It had a profound effect on me and that story stuck with me. I have read most of her novels as well as her other short stories.

Okay, I will close for now. Stay safe if you are in the path of these storms today. See you again soon!

Posted on May 16, 2025May 16, 2025 by yarnmama — 3 Comments

New Knitting Design Progress

I am making good progress on my knitting design. I also got some new books for Christmas.

Knitting a Vest

I have been working on my new vest design since my last post. This is the only project on which I have made progress.

I am almost to the arm hole shaping on the back piece. I am enjoying this stitch pattern. It is easy to memorize with just enough happening to keep you entertained. I usually prefer working from charts for stitch patterns, but you really don’t need one for this.

I am close to the end of the first skein of yarn already. I don’t think it will last through the arm hole shaping. I have three skein set aside for this. It looks like I will be using all three but I don’t think I’ll need more than that.

New Books for Christmas

Is there any better Christmas gift than books? Well, maybe, but they rank pretty high in my opinion. I hit the jackpot this year!

I started collecting the hardback copies of the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith (J.K.Rowling) last year. I have read them all and already own the Kindle and Audible versions. I wanted to have physical copies though since they are some of my favorites to re-read. I bought books 4 and 5 this summer. My children got my the rest of the set for Christmas. I am looking forward to re-reading these before book 8 is released.

I also hit the Barnes & Noble hard back sale the weekend after Christmas. I had some reward points to spend too. Here’s a few books I picked up. I haven’t read any of these before.

I just finished The Frozen River and I enjoyed it very much. I will definitely be reading some other books by Ariel Lawhon.

This book is set in the post Revolutionary War period in Maine. The main character is a midwife who reminds me of Clare Fraser in The Outlander series. This story is based on a real person, Martha Ballard. She was a midwife who kept a diary. I remember owning a copy of her biography, A Midwife’s Tale, but I don’t have it anymore.

I planned to start my re-read of War and Peace on January 1. I will do that as a slow, year-long read. All these new books are calling my name right now too. Which one to read first is the question. Have you read any of these?

Posted on January 2, 2025January 2, 2025 by yarnmama — 9 Comments

FIBER FESTIVALS

NEW PRODUCT

KNITTING

READING

Currently Reading:

CONCLUSION

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YARN DYEING

FIBER FESTIVAL

KNITTING

KNITTING TOOLS PRODUCTION

READING

Recent Reads:

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CLOSING

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KNITTING

BUSINESS UPDATES

LIFE UPDATES

READING

December/January Reads:

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CLOSING

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Festivals

Yarn Dyeing

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Travel and Festivals

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New Knitting

Fiber Festivals

Reading

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Knitting

Reading

Shop Updates

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Knitting

Yarn Dyeing and other Business Stuff

Reading

Closing

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Festivals

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Reading

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Knitting a Vest

New Books for Christmas

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