Friday, November 30, 2012

Christmas came a little early...

Okay, okay - I have all these fiber animals;  I make and dye all this yarn, and I am not really a knitter.  For me, its more like "Mom, will you cast on for me?"  And then I knit a rectangle.  Its just that the children, the animals and all the fiber art more than take up my time.  I've got a dye pot on before 7 am and it often only gets shoved over a burner for dinner and is still going at 10 pm.  So who has time to knit - I say to myself.  Well, I am finally determined.   I'll state my New Year's Resolution a little early too... By the end of 2013, I at least want to have knit all the patterns that I have in my booth for my customers.  I hope I can do it, most are beginner level, and some intermediate - not sure if I can get to any lace, but I'll try.

So on that note, I am alway drooling over some of the finished knits in the booths of my friends, comrads, and mentors.  One such thing that I have eyed for several years are these triangle shawls by Greta Dise of Persimmon Tree Farm.  Greta has a really nice old farm up in PA.  She goes to both MD Sheep & Wool and Rhinebeck.  She has been all across the country for the last two decades showing goats and selling her fiber art - mainly hand-dyed yarns and rovings, but she also is always knitting something.  So, you will always find some hats, sweaters, scaves, and shawls and such in her booth.  And, oooh how I drool over those triangle shawls.  Greta finally said to me, "Well, darn it, Karen, if you get me some yarn that is your dye work, I'll knit you one."  I thought it was too good to be true, but below are the pictures.  Greta is certain, that now that I have one and the pattern to boot, I can teach myself how to do this.  So it has become part of the resolution.

In the pictures are the yarn I dyed for her to do the knitting-- I dyed a little extra, and me in the shawl.  Why are we all only "photogenic" in our twenties?  Drat!  But I do think, I like that shawl!  I adore Greta, and you guys have no idea how wonderful it made me feel to open this special present from her!!
Check out Greta's goats and yarn on Facebook under:  PersimmonTreeFarm on Facebook
There are also some pictures of her knitting in progress on my facebook page at:  Avalon Springs Farm on Facebook