New Knitting for a New Year

I haven't been without my knitting on this trip! Before we left, I picked up some yarn that I had processed at a new mill in our area, Flaggy Meadow Fiber Works. Sean and Lori are new suri alpaca breeders that recently moved their farm and mill from Maine to Kentucky, and I wanted to give them a try.I have to say I am VERY pleased with the quality of their work, and I enjoyed a tour they gave me of their mill as well. I will definitely be sending them much more fiber very soon, and you can watch for more details of my visit on my other blog.Above is some of the yarn I had spun that I couldn't wait to put in the dye pot. It is amazing how much the quality of the fiber translates into how well it takes dye- this yarn just glows and is as silky and lofty as any I have worked with! Although of course I have umpteen other projects going, I wanted to make something that combines the bright colors I dyed, and thumbing through one of my favorite knitting books, Mason-Dixon Knitting: The Curious Knitters' Guide: Stories, Patterns, Advice, Opinions, Questions, Answers, Jokes, and Pictures, I remembered this project, the Nina Shawl, that I have been wanting to knit! I love the color combination shown in the book, but here and here and here are some others! The bright colors I'm working with reflect my optimism for a positive 2009. Happy New Year, friends, family, and fellow knitters!

And they're off!

I don't know why I'm not in bed after such an eventful weekend, but my mind is whirling as I go through photos of the past few days. It all started with a book signing at Joseph Beth for the Mason Dixon knitters, followed by a super-fun birthday party with friends. Ann and Kay from Mason Dixon Knitting are hilarious, and they amused the crowd with the wigs that they wore in the now-famous video, "Pardon Me, I didn't Knit That for You." If you're a knitter and haven't seen this yet, be sure to take a peek- I guarantee you'll love it! My sweet niece Lauren and her husband JP graced us with a visit, and we had tons of fun!

Paul's Dad and Aunt Ginny from Chicago also visited, and I really enjoyed getting to know Aunt Ginny better, and catching up with Paul's Dad.

We went out on the boat and enjoyed mild weather and great fall colors. Today we went to Keeneland Race Track, starting with tailgating with my stepson Jason and his fiancee Crystal.

This was the kid's first time there- we ate Kentucky Burgoo (look for a recipe here later this week), Mirian and I wore hats, Robert climbed a huge burr oak tree, and we all had a grand time!