Sunday, September 28, 2008

Need for Madder Red Wool Yarn

I have decided to have some of my Liberty or Death Caps available for sale at the Battle of the Hook in Gloucester, Virginia 17-19 October 2008. But, as I didn't have any madder red wool available, I needed to do some dying and fast.




I put on a vat of madder red using a recipe from an excellent book, Natural Dyes by Gwen Fereday. I absolutely love her book. Deciding what recipe to use is made easy with her numerous pictures.





I finally finished my "Verdandi" clutch bag. I got the pattern from a Norah Gaughan collection book, Volume 2. I tried to do the crochet border on the ring but as I have never crocheted, I was unable to get it to look right. So, I just covered the ring in the gold yarn. I do not like having the heavy ring on the front and I may remove it and put some other decoration there.





The madder dye pot is done and I will leave the yarn in the pot until tomorrow when I get home from work and yoga. Then it will be rinse, rinse, rinse.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

More Pictures

Stuart and Janet just sent me two more 1st Virginia Regiment pictures from the Mt Vernon Craft Faire.




Did you notice that Aaron can march to the beat of a different drummer? That's him in the Hunting Shirt. It's pretty bad when you have to use the musicians to have enough soldiers to fight.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Mt Vernon Craft Faire

I have always enjoyed the Mt. Vernon Craft Faire. But, certainly not for the weather. We can usually expect rain on Friday night while we are setting up, hot temperatures on Saturday and Sunday, and possibly a thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon (usually while we are trying to tear down).

This weekend the weather was just a little different. It barely sprinkled on Friday night but was horrendously hot on Saturday and Sunday with no rain either day to lower the temperatures.

Saturday was in the low 90's and Sunday was expected to get to 97 degrees but only reached 94. With humidity at 60%, those temperatures made for a very uncomfortable faire. I just couldn't drink enough water and eventually had to "run for cover" Sunday afternoon in order to keep myself from over-heating. It is always disappointing when your body is not as strong as you want it to be.

The Laundress at work in the temporary shade.
Trying to start a fire with flint and steel with many opinionated experts and onlookers.

The vendors at Mt Vernon are always exceptional. This year there were many more singers floating through the crowd. I loved that. And a tame rooster that caught many people's attention.

We didn't get a photo of it but they had two of the oxen hooked up to a yoke on Saturday afternoon and had them walking through the crowd. These oxen were so layed back and nothing seemed to phase them, not even the musket firing demonstration on the green.




All in all, a good weekend. Gail, thanks for the lovely photos. Good job 1st Virginia Regiment!

Monday, September 08, 2008

Linen Bags

I started a yoga class and I needed a bag to put my mat in. Well, I looked on line and they wanted way to much for just a bag.


So, I got out my 7/5 Natural Linen (the yarn that smells like fresh hay) from R&M Yarns and knitted a yoga mat carrier. I love it. It is extremely tough yet good looking.


I love it so much in fact that I decided that instead of buying the make-up bag I need for the gym, that I would knit one using the same linen yarn.


I sewed the zipper on this evening. I am so pleased with how both of these things worked out. Simple elegance.




Perhaps they will go in the next dye bath.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Gwen Climbing Stairs

I finally was able to get a video of Gwen climbing our staircase.

Notice how she uses just her feet and alternates them with each step up. I really don't know how she makes it with her short legs. And she doesn't arrive at the top of the stairs out of breath. She is better at this than some of the people at work who only walk down the hall and get winded.


New Clutch Bag

I am so close to finishing one of my latest projects - a "Verdandi" clutch bag.
I got the pattern from a Norah Gaughan collection book, Volume 2.



I actually used the yarns that the pattern called for, just in a different background color.


The only thing left to do is make the enclosure. Unfortunately, I have had a hell of a time finding a three inch flat metal ring that is called for in the pattern. I finally found a non-flat 3" ring on ebay.

I was looking for a clutch bag for months. And when I saw this pattern, I knew it was what I wanted.