Tunes on Tuesday

Adele - Crazy For You

Tunes on Tuesday

Rodrigo y Gabriela - my favorite song - Juan Loco. They're truly magicians with guitars. My favorite driving music.... especially long distances.

Dubuque Arboretum

We visited the Dubuque Arboretum for Father's Day.
It was a wonderful park with lovely gardens and the ever-important playscape which the boys loved.

big storms

Did you know that last summer an Iowa woman discovered a new cloud type? Wild!

This photo was taken on Friday on our way home from Dubuque. We got caught in the storms on the way home -- crazy lightning!

so lush

more Iowa sky

it's just so big!

A walk with Grandma

Guttenberg, Iowa, walking along the Mississippi River

Stagecoach Yarn Shop

Today I took a short trip to visit Stagecoach Yarn Shop in rural Manchester, Iowa.... the setting in the country is quiet and quaint. Check out the yarn art that the owner has crocheted for her property!

The interior was gorgeous. The owner had the hanks of yarn unwound and hanging on pegs... a wall of Cascade 220, a nook of Malabrigo, and shelves and cubbies full of Noro. In another room was a great selection of kid-friendly yarns, another room had a kid sitting area with chairs and books as well as a good selection of sock yarns.

There was plenty of seating both inside and out. And, the owner was very pleasant and helpful. She showed me all around her property and also pointed out a birds nest that was entirely made up of yarn! The birds had snagged off some of the yarn from her yard art and made a nest out of it. How charming!

If you're ever up for a road trip or are home for the weekend in eastern Iowa, make a point to check out Stagecoach Yarn Shop. It's definitely worth going just a little bit off the beaten path.

M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i

The mighty Mississippi River at Pike's Peak looking towards Wisconsin.

back in Iowa

So much sky!

Tunes on Tuesday

The Planet Smashers - Change

Long ago, I was a scrawny little punk rock girl skanking around at Pearl Street in Northampton, Mass. with my future husband. We spent our days working at his pawn shop (no joke!) trying to just make enough to go to the next big show. I wore plaid pants, doc martens, bleach blonde hair with a purple streak, smoked peppermint cigarettes, and lived on dunkin donuts coffee and ketchup sandwiches. We saw just about every punk or ska show that came through for a somewhat short amount of time. Very quickly life changed with marriage, baby, reality kicking our butts. We moved to Connecticut and got on the track we're on now and haven't looked back since. Still such great memories.

Back then, this was one (of many) of my personal theme songs. I still like to crank it and sing along and pretend I'm that scrawny punk rock grrrl. Long live betty crocker punk rocker.

A visit to Nezinscot Farm

The morning the babe and I took a little field trip to Nezinscot Farm. They offer a wonderful selection of organic meats, dairy, baked goods and ... wait for it... yarrrrrrrrn. Now, farm yarn is pretty much my absolute favorite yarn. It's just more sentimental ... or something.

Anyway, the farm store was incredibly charming without trying to be. Everything was functional but also so picturesque if you know what I mean. I quickly grabbed a loaf of freshly baked bread and then hunted around for the holy grail... where were they hiding the yarn? When I inquired I was lead in the direction of the stairs ... ooooh the excitement mounted as I helped my son up the steps.

We got up to the top and I was taken aback at the sight. The wall in front of me was lined with bins and bins of wool yarns... natural... handpainted... all the squishy lovely skeins quietly beckoning to be picked up.

Nobody was in the shop but it was truly full of life. The shop was the entire second floor loft of the farm store. Every nook and cranny had fibery goodness tucked in to it. It was the type of shop a knitter walks in to and gets a little weepy at the sight.... rocking chairs, comfy couches, spinning wheels, tables and tables of gadgets, tools, notions, books, patterns, baskets, hand written signs, notes, suggestions. Handknit mittens and hats everywhere. It was a virtual knitting candy store.

I had a hard time choosing some lovelies to accompany me back home. I ended up choosing three hanks single ply medium brown/grey wool. I can't believe I didn't leave with some of the amazing creamy cormo. I'm a sucker for cormo. But I left it there as a promise to come back and visit again.

It was sort of strange being in such a lively environment without anyone else there. It was so full of life. The sounds of the farm outside, barking dogs, laughter. The smells of something yummy cooking downstairs. It was a fun experience.
We eventually made our way back down, the babe selected a treat and we were off. Over the hills and through the woods on the way home. We'll definitely be back.

To plan your own visit to Nezinscot Farm, please visit their web site by clicking here.

It's lupine season again!

The Maine Lupine has actually been in full bloom for a couple weeks now... far ahead of schedule at least in comparison from last year (the only year I can use as a reference). I do not mind this at all because we're heading back to visit Iowa soon and I was actually fretting about missing the Lupine! Yes, I'm loopy for lupine.

Anyway, this photo is from last year but it's a good representation of the splendor of lupine...

Lupine grows abundantly in the ditches, through the forest, across the rolling meadows, and is well represented in cultivated gardens as well. I love it. When it blows in the wind it sort of wobbles and jiggles all around in a goofy fashion. I absolutely love the blues but there are also pink, red, and white varieties as well.

Mainers pronounce it "loopin'" ... I can't help but say "loo-pine" which  makes me sound even more like I'm 'from away' but I don't mind if Mainers don't.

I'm so glad I didn't miss the lupine before we head back to Iowa! I used to feel this way about missing the crabapple blossoms in Iowa... we always seemed to be out of town when our huge amazing crabapple tree in our back yard was bloomed out.... and also during the 10 day span that Iowa seems to be in peak fall foliage.

I guess I'm just attached to my surroundings and it feels good to be getting that way with my new home as well. It's fun that we now can look back on 'this time last year' which we constantly seem to be doing.

All that said, we're beside ourselves excited to go home to Iowa in a couple weeks. As much as we love Maine and are happy to be here, there's just simply no place like home.

Tunes on Tuesday

A couple of years ago my guys and I took a whirlwind trip to Hawaii. We were tired of the cold and ice so we jumped on a plane and spent a week in ultimate bliss. We stayed right on Waikiki Beach and had so much fun doing the tourist thing.

My favorite day though was the day we rented a car and drove up the coast to the north shore. My favorite spot was a small town called Kailua. We went to the beach there and it was just so perfect. The town didn't have as much of a touristy vibe like Waikiki caters to. There were families, soccer practice, guys meeting up to wind surf. The place was generally quiet and the beach was ohhhh so amazing.

For months after our trip we all dreamed of moving to Kailua some day. It's a place that is imprinted on us as a family now and this song reminds me of our brief time there.

Friday Happy

My little 'garden gnome' and I frolicked around at the garden center (yes that is a garden and not the deep woods) on Wednesday.

I think spring has finally taken hold here in Maine... the extended forecast couldn't be more wonderful.

Last night I could hear loons in the distance as I fell asleep!

Yesterday I went to a knitting group that meets at the new yarn shop 2 blocks from my house and they were all wonderful and welcoming ladies. I'll definitely be going on a regular basis. I walked there... I don't know if my feet touched the ground I got there so fast. HAHA! Then when I stepped out several hours later it was just magically beautiful downtown. It was still in the middle 70s, the sun was setting at the end of the street and the sky was a beautiful pinky peachy hue. It was so calm and quiet! I walked very slowly home just to soak it all in. I got home to my guys sitting on the back porch eating popsicles in their PJs. I haven't felt that content in so long.

This weekend the big guys are going camping. I can't decide what the babe and I are going to do.... garden? tag sales? a trip to Portland? beach? It's a good problem to have. Maybe we'll just do it all. Or maybe we'll just draw sidewalk chalk roads all over the driveway and call that being productive :) Happy Friday!

Tunes on Tuesday

I cannot listen to this song without laughing and crying. This album and others of its time are pretty much the soundtrack of my childhood. Good memories.

Tunes on Tuesday

Alison Krauss -- Goodbye is All We Have

Window Shopping Wednesday

I could shop online all the time if money allowed but I've reigned in my spendiness as of late and plan on keeping that trend. I don't particularly like to stash a ton of yarn... it makes me feel antsy and overwhelmed about my favorite hobby. Even if money were no object, I wouldn't want a massive stash to weigh me down. I do, however, love to 'window shop' online and imagine all the fun I'd have with the wonderful yarns that are offered... I thought maybe we could do this together. Share some of your finds with me, too.

I hope to do this every Wednesday or at least most .... Now, let's ogle some yarn, shall we?

• Kaleidoscope Yarns put up their latest shipment of Tosh Pashmina yarn this week. I have one skein of this yarn in the cherry colorway that I ordered a while back from kyarns. It's scrumptious, my friends. 75% merino wool 15% silk 10% cashmere, 360 yards, sport weight. This is so incredibly soft that I'll probably knit it in to a cowl for this winter.

• Lately I've been eyeing Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Humboldt colorway (shown at left). I think it's a newish color.The colors are subtle and remind me of the ocean. I have never knit a pair of socks with Lorna's Laces... that surprises me! I think it's about time.  Speaking of Lorna's Laces, did you read Ysolda's great post on her very own color for the Color Commentary series? I'm so excited about Ysolda Red.

• Kim of The Woolen Rabbit has a new yarn line and it looks fantastic. Mara is a single ply worsted weight yarn that is a blend of 60/20/20 blend of Merino, Alpaca and silk, 225 yards/skein. I can't wait to try out this yarn. I've always had a thing for single ply yarns and have already knit up a couple of projects using Kim's fabulous yarns. She's truly an artist.

• My friend Sarah finished a pair of socks this week in UNI colors -- purple and gold. I went to the University of Northern Iowa and now my baby brother is going to be starting there in the fall. I figured out that this yarn is available through the Crazy Girl Yarn Shop web site. They also have U of I and ISU colors. I plan on picking some up in-store when I'm back in Iowa next month.

That's it for this week! I hope you may have found something that strikes your fancy. Has anything in particular caught your eye this week?

I really could go on and on about yarn ... I stalk all the yarn sites and am always looking out for what's new and different. I have so many more goodies that I need to share with you. I'm excited about this new series!

Tunes on Tuesday

I promise this song will put you in a good mood. I can't recommend Nickel Creek to you enough.

Pineland Spring

Pineland Farms is one of my favorite somewhat local places in Maine. It's just amazing! Our family ... especially the boys and I... have a lot of fun playing there. It's a great place to hike, to walk, to bike ride, there are many organized outdoor activities as well. We also love the market where we can buy cheese that is produced right there on the farm, and also buy local meat and produce as well. It's a great place for us to get away without really going too far.

We especially love the garden... It's been fun to get to know the plantings there and now to see them all come back again and have some idea about how spectacular everything is going to be in a couple months is a real treat.

May 2 in Maine

This one is for you. :)

We spent a splendid day at the beach followed by a late lunch at Red's Eats in Wiscasset. Red's is famous for their lobster rolls,  I have yet to have one... this summer I will try one. I love their fries dipped in cole slaw, yum! Afterward we drove up to Damariscotta and Camden before heading home through Augusta.

It occurred to us today that here we are, still in Maine.... and we get to do all of these fun things again! It is such a privilege to get to live in this great state.

Catching up

Where to begin? It's been over a month since I posted... and I've only posted a handful of times since I moved my blog! It's time to step it up.

We've been busy thinking about big things... the usual... moving, jobs, travel. The first two are things that we need to wait on for a while. All is well here... just some uncertainty plus Iowa still always looming in the background. I've been so stressed out about this stuff for so long and I'm just tired of it. We may not be where we're going to end up but it occurred to me the other day there is really nothing I can do to change a darn thing right now so what the heck is the point of constantly stressing about it? Besides... it's spring! I decided that I'm going to shift my focus away from these things and instead focus on planting pots of pansies with my boys, and just live in the moment and enjoy each day. That's what it's all about anyway, isn't it!?I tend to be too much of a control freak though and want to make things happen instead of just waiting on things. Oh well! After over a year of 'limbo' I should have figured out to chill out by now, don't you think?

As far as travel, we just got back from spending spring break in Florida. We stayed with my in-laws in central Florida. It was an alright trip. We spent one day at the beach which was HEAVENLY. I have to say though that after living near the ocean, going to the beach sort of loses its novelty. Not that we didn't have a great time, but we do the beach quite a lot up here in the summer... we know how to do the beach. We're absolutely a beach family. We've offered on several trips to take our son to Disney or other attractions and he always turns it down because he'd rather be beaching.

I do think next time we'll spend our beach time on the west coast... we'd love to check out several hot spots. We typically go somewhere between Daytona and St. Augustine. We know this area very well. I could see us being snowbirds in St. Augustine or Ormond Beach someday.

Anyway, as far as knitting goes I've been knitting up a storm like usual. I'm almost done with a cardigan but I'm not going to talk about it until it's DONE just because I'd like to actually finish something! I have sock yarn that's on my mind... Regia Kaffe Fassett but I won't let myself start until the sweater is done.

I'm so excited about the New Hampshire Sheep & Wool festival which is next weekend. I had a blast last year, and this year I'm bringing all the guys so it'll be fun.  I get so much inspiration and motivation to knit when I go to these events. I can't wait to see the Foxfire Fiber and Green Mountain Spinnery booths, as well as others! I want to get some Sylvan Spirit from GMS and can't wait to check it out in person to find just the right color. Although I don't want to go with anything too particular in mind (other than a budget) so I can just see what inspires me.

Anyway, hope you're all doing well. I've been keeping up with your blogs even through vacation but haven't been commenting much. Happy Spring!

Help me choose...

I'm so excited about this project. I'm going to knit this little sweater from Roo Designs for my 3 year old son. I bought these four luscious colors of Spud & Chloe Sweater in super cute, springy colors. Here's my dilemma... I can't decide which colors to put where. What do you think? I need your help picking which colors to use as the background stripes, and which to use as the sheepy feet, face, and sleeves. Let me know what you think. :)

In the mean time, I need to keep knitting away on the lace capelet... I badly want to start this project but won't until the capelet is done. I'm knitting the border right now. By my estimation the border before attaching to the perimeter is going to be about seven feet long. I'm about 12 repeats in and have 16 more to go. I've already thought about turning this in to a pillow but simply won't... pillow-a-fying everything is turning in to a bad habit for when I don't feel like finishing something properly.

Silky Wool Fan Shawl

This was such a fun knit! This shawl is constructed from the bottom up in a modular way. First you knit the first fan, then pick up stitches along the side of it and add on as you go. You just keep building the shawl upward. The last row of fans are sort of shorter and with more swift decreases to flatten it out. Then stitches are picked up and worked in garter stitch for a nice clean border along the top.

Once you knit a couple of the fans, the 'lace' pattern is easily memorized. It's a great project because you can just work on one or two fans or whatever time permits without being totally sucked in to a long row or complicated pattern. It also happens to be a free pattern ... I highly recommend that you check it out.

I used Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool for this project. It was really interesting to knit with. The texture is rustic but soft. It absolutely transformed in to a beautiful soft, lightweight, warm fabric after washing and blocking. I have always loved the color palette of Silky Wool and would love to knit a lightweight sweater out of this yarn. Here is a link to my Ravelry details for this project.

Blog Move

I moved my blog.... You can now find me at http://www.lizknits.com

I hope you'll make the jump... see you there!