Happy New Year!

Well, we made it through the madness sometime known as Christmas. I was given something that I shall cherish for a very long time to come!!

ALL my kiddies were home for Christmas this year! I LOVE IT!!

And we all want to wish you and yours a Happy and Safe Holiday and New Year to come. May all your fibery wishes come true!!

It's Christmas Time

Add in a bit of knitting by the fire and sharing a cuppa with your honey and that pretty much sums it all up!

I grew up with those wonderful Christmas time specials. And still really enjoy them when they come on TV. So finding this one was really a treat. Hope you all like it too.

Artists Studio Tour

This year Alana, Kari (her friend from Seattle, Washington) and myself went on the Artists Studio Tour. You can read more about it in my previous post. Here you can drool (or not) over some of the goodies I got. As well as Debra's goodies. She didn't take the tour with us but she did have a grand time.

These lovely beauties are from Kiparoo Farms! Destined to be mittens cause we all know how I just love to mitt knittens!

Great yarny goodies from Dancing Leaf - and I got two of them. To be something for me.
How exciting! Dalis also had some great bag lunches. She called them Shepard's Bag Lunches - good bit of bread, great selection of cheeses, carrots, sweet peas, bottle of water and a chocolate! Kept us going all day. And it was a good thing too, there really wasn't anyplace out there to stop for lunch -- much less coffee or gas!

Debra's goodies from the Studio Tour! Also from Kiparoo Farms.

I also purchased some lovely alpaca from Rainbowpaca's while at the Lahara Studios. It's quite wonderful and will soon meet up with needles to become something wonderful. I just can't tell you what yet.

A Great Weekend

A Jacob from Dancing Leaf Farms

I spent Saturday doing the Countryside Artists Studio Tour here in Maryland. Some 14 artists open up their studios for tours, goodies, hot cider, and shopping fun. You do the driving and go to whichever studio suits your purpose. They only open their studios a couple times a year and it's just for the weekend but the countryside is beautiful and I was in good company! Here are the studios we went to:

Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard (yes, vineyard as in wine tasting! and chocolate too!!) I bought a very lovely bottle of Chardonnay there. They also make red. All very good. New vineyard too!

Seneca Creek Joinery = beautiful hand turned wood items. And lovely little mini long haired dachshund named Kitty. They served a wonderful cuppa cider too!

PlumStuff - They were a unique furniture place done in tiles with iron legs. Also she had some lovely glass bead jewelry. And a young lady who's information I didn't get who greeted you outside the studio with very happy looking dinnerware.

Morningstar Studio - Tina Brown is brilliant with a paint brush! You've got to go see her work.!

Morningstar Studio isn't it lovely!

Lahara Textile Gallery - Another brilliant place. This is a small shop that leases out space to work your fibery wares. They also have classes. And of course sell their wares. I scored some beautiful alpaca (Rainbow Pacas) Sport weight-2ply 320 yards at a price that would you make you wish you were with me!

Lindenwood Farmgoods - Beautiful setting.

Kiparoo Farm - No, I didn't get enough of Annie during the MDS&W Festival. And yes, I bought more yarn there and some lovely soap. And no I don't have any pictures to post cause it was really really really dark by the time we got to her studio. And I'll post pic of my goodies later this week.

Dancing Pig Pottery - Really nice pottery! If it weren't quite so heavy I would now have the coolest looking coffee mug with a dragon most gracefully wrapped around it. And the art work was really unique.

Dancing Leaf Farm - Yes, I know I can see her work at the MDS&W but her studio has always been spoken of fondly by fellow knitters so I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see it and Tasman.
These are my traveling companions for the day. Kari (from Seattle, Wa) and Alana. This was taken at Dancing Leaf Farms. There besides scoring some lovely yarns, cards and jewelry we also got a Shepard's Bag Lunch. Very yummy and perfect for being on the go!

Here's the three of us with the famed Tasman. He was really more interested in our lunch.

The Blacksmith Shop - You know a true blacksmith is rapidly becoming an art of the past but this one still has a forge. And it was HOT! Truly worth the drive to see it. Bill Allen was also sharing his studio with two neighbors; one who had some beautiful wooden cutting boards and boasts that all his work is done from trees that already fallen (No trees harmed) and a lady who wove baskets using old saddle parts and bridle bits. Very neat to see.

Art of Fire - Was a HUGE glass workshop. And possibly the warmest stop of the whole day. They also give classes. I've always thought about taking a glass working class. Now I know where to go!

Alden Farms - Very unique type lawn ornaments and garden items. They also have a garden shop that's open in the spring. I look forward to a return visit there.

Most all of the studios were converted barns or sheds. And all were filled with curious shoppers and fiberholics of all walks. The weather was absolutely beautiful which was really good cause driving for the first time on some of those country roads can be tricky business! Pics of my goodies will come later this week. But I leave you with Tasman's buddy. We never did get his name but he was a very sweet guy!

It's December

The Two 'N's Nik and Nathan

And it's almost Christmas! But before the Zoo and really start celebrating Christmas we've got a few birthdays to get out of the way. One is the Wyldman's. Here's a pic of him with his bigger brother and best friend, Evan. This was taken just before he ate two plates of fried calamari -- by hisself.


Thee Wyldman is the one in the middle. I think hunger was propelling their goofy faces or it could be that I was the one taking the picture.

Too cute for words? Here's another one for ya.

Here's the Divine Miss M and her beau, Dan

For the record, he informed me (not that long ago) that he was not a knitted sweater kinda boy. This has been denied as he has seen a couple of designs that can only be knit onto a sweater -- such as a skull and crossbones. Looks like there will be a bit of Wyldman sweater designing in my future! WHAOO! Not to start happening until after the holidays thank you very much!

Okay, I've gotten some knitterly type pics up on the mitten blog. For you new folks (HA! the ones that found this blog totally by accident) the mitten blog is one I've put together for my friends who have no blog. There are is a handful of people out there who don't blog believe it or not. But people like me who maintain 5 certainly make up for those who do not. I've put some of my holiday knitting there too.

Speaking of mitten knitting, Annapolis Knit and Crochet will be meeting at the Seattle's Best Cafe in the Westfield Annapolis Borders on Monday at 7:00pm. Grab your project bag and come join us! Or just come and join us for the chat. We have plenty of that!

And speaking of holidays and gifts and the like (yes, I like getting gifts.) A totally awesome friend sent us a brand spanking new computer printer/scanner/copier for Christmas. And it even works with my camera.....once I figure out how to. But the kids know how to use it already and that just makes my work even easier.

Point is, Awesome Friend -- Thank you very much!! You know who you are.


BTW: I really like my new job but it's kicking my butt mentally. We all need a good butt-kicking every so often.