Hat on EMS YouTube Video!!

As many of you know, Burkett was in a photo shoot for Eastern Mountain Sports last winter and got a chance to go play up at Mt. Washington and try out their new winter gear for this year.  Anyway, some of his photos are starting to make their way into stores and on the website.  Me being me thought I'd knit him a few extra hats to keep warm while up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  One of them made it into this video!  B is the one with the skis on his back in the yellow jacket...and the gray hat with white stripes is my handy work!  It's a Peruvian wool/alpaca blend, fully lined with Polartec fleece, very warm.  He said it made his head sweat...at 10 below. 

A Long Overdue Blog Post & Highlights from the Baby Boom!

While it has been almost 4 months since my last post, life has not been uneventful...I finished my fellowship program in July, traveled home to Illinois for a few days, started my new job teaching at a new school of pharmacy, we moved to East Hampton Labor Day weekend, we've taken several trips (to the Adirondacks, Vermont, & Ohio), and I've already created and taught an entire class this semester.  Despite all of the chaos, I haven't stopped knitting...those sticks still tend to come out of the bag on occasion after a hectic day.  There has also been quite the baby boom this year among our close friends.  I have been bound and determined to hand knit each of these little guys and girls something warm and cozy. Enjoy!

I've also recently started my first adult size sweater (for myself, thought that would be best in case it doesn't come out well).  Stay tuned for pictures...

Little Boy Blue Blanket for Tommy in Ohio

Made with Jo Ann's Sensations Sublime - while it wasn't the appropriate weight, the color of this yarn was exactly what I was looking for.  I ended up using a much smaller needle (size 3) as this yarn was a sport weight yarn rather than worsted as called for in the original pattern.  Took much longer to knit, but was totally worth it, the texture of the tighter knit turned out beautiful. 

Pattern:  Diagonal Comfort Blanket

Cotton Hats & Cardigan for Willow in Connecticut

Made with Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (the multicolored hat is Cotton-Ease knit with a strand of left over Deborah Norville sock yarn from my stash)

Patterns:  Eloise Eyelet Cardi, Hat is a pattern that I came up with on my own and will hopefully get published one of these days.  Gift tag is scrap fabric sewn to a piece of hand made paper, then trimmed with pinking shears. 

Baby Blanket for Wright in South Carolina

Made with Lion Brand Baby Soft & Microspun

Pattern:  Blue Lagoon Blanket

First Annual I-91 Shop Hop

Participated in the first annual I-91 Shop Hop this past weekend, which was a tour of 11 local yarn shops all along I-91 between Putney, VT and New Haven, CT.  My friend, and fellow knitter, Catharine came down from Albany to make the road trip with me.  We had a great time catching up, scouting out some new shops, and finding some great deals on yarn! 

A few of our favorites...

1.  WEBS in Northampton, MA.  My new favorite yarn store, it's HUGE!!  We spent 2 hours there, and they have lots of interesting classes.  I will likely be making the trip back up there very soon.  I was so overwhelmed that I forgot to take a picture :(

2.  The Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, VT.  A totally green spinnery operation...and they gave us a tour and let us jump in their wool room.

3.  Basketville in Putney, VT.  You can't drive up I-91 into VT without stopping at Basketville.  Stocked up on some great wine and picked up a few baskets.

Looking forward to next year already!!

Wickham Park

We've had string of gorgeous weather here in Connecticut the past few days, but here comes the rain again.  Burkett and I went out to Wickham Park one evening earlier this week to walk through the gardens.  Burkett took a lot of great pictures while I enjoyed the garden and sunset views.  Here a few of the highlights...

The Fruit of my Labor

Despite waking up to the sound of a transformer explosion and no power, it was an absolutely gorgeous morning…and with it being Strawberry season, it was a perfect morning for berry picking!  So as Burkett got ready to head in to work for the day, his mom and I made plans for berry picking.  In past years, I’ve always gone to Rose’s Berry Farm down in South Glastonbury.  It’s a very nice operation, complete with well manicured berry patches, a hay wagon ride to deliver you directly to your row, and picnic tables on the deck overlooking the farm for a pancake breakfast topped with berries.  However, on weekends like these, the place tends to be pretty crowded with families.  This year Burkett’s mom suggested going to Cavanna’s, which she frequents annually.  It was definitely a bit more rustic and perhaps off the beaten path from the typical Glastonbury orchards and farms, but the prices were great, the crowds were nonexistent, and the experience was very relaxed and enjoyable.   In fact, it reminded me of picking strawberries back in Quincy at Mill Creek Farm in its early years. 

I also stopped at several other orchards and farms in South Glastonbury on the way out and picked up some wonderful handmade soap from Belltown Orchards.  It’s made at Wind-Gait Farm, also in South Glastonbury, which is a hobby farm that raises Angora Goats for making goat milk soap and mohair yarns.  They had a rather wide selection of soap scents and I finally settled on Garden Mint.  It smells divine.  The rosemary and lavender fragrances were also very nice.  More importantly, they produce three different styles of yarn, all spun and hand-dyed at the farm in a selection of vibrant colors.  I will definitely be going back for yarn once I conjure up a few new project ideas.  I absolutely love the idea of making this year’s round of knitted Christmas gifts with locally produced yarn!

All in all, it was a nice morning and we both went home with a tray each of perfectly ripe strawberries.   I plan to enjoy a bowl of mine this afternoon poolside.

Stay tuned, I'm planning on updating my Ravelry page this afternoon.

A Midwesterner turned New Englander?

I'm not sure if that transformation is entirely possible, but we'll see how things unfold...

DISCLAIMER: I am not a native New Englander.

I am a Midwesterner and an avid knitter, living in New England by way of Central Illinois, Ohio, and South Carolina...with a brief stint in Alaska. However, after living in Connecticut for 2 years on what was supposed to be a temporary basis, I've decided to stay for 3 simple reasons:

1. I met a very special guy.


2. I found a really sweet job.


3. Despite my initial, preconceived notions, I've really come to enjoy living in New England (except for the traffic and taxes).

As a result, this blog is dedicated to sharing my love and passion for knitting. However, I promise you will also get a taste of my experiences living, eating, and drinking all that is New England. You will also likely get a flavor of my numerous other hobbies, including but not limited to: hiking, backpacking, biking, skiing, cooking, decorating, reading, and beer. Enjoy!