A Satisfied Customer ..... Really!

Sweet babe wearing my hat.

This little Miss Sober-sides is wearing a hat made in one of my most favorite colorways. I wish I could remember where I bought the yarn. I think it must Joann Fabrics.

Angela said the babe's mama remarked about how solemn she had been all morning. That she was thinking "deep thoughts". :)

Oops! I have told people all week that this Saturday, October 19th, is our last Market. The last Market is actually October 26th. So yay for us because the 19th is looking as though we may be rained out.

Angela and I are working hard to build up our inventory for the last days of Market and the Holiday show November 9th at the Orleans Elementary School. We keep telling our hands "Don't fail us now!" So of course I have had that old Hoyt Axton song "Boney Fingers" in my head for a couple of weeks. "Work your fingers to the bone ...... what do you get? Boney Fingers"

You can also items made by The Sisters at a new boutique in Bedford, IN called Franki & Pips . It is an eclectic shop of new and vintage items. Nothing else like it in Bedford! They also have a Facebook page where you can get updates of what coming soon or is in stock. They rarely have many of the same thing so your  purchases will be very unique.

Best call it a night and go put the farm to bed!

Tough Summer

Seal in the kitty basket

Indy in the greenhouse

Lenny trying to mess with Sebastian.

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted until I actually went to the blog to enter this post. Yikes it has been months!

News-wise it was a rough summer. I lost two of my kittens from last September and my Indy cat was a victim of a hit-and-run driver. Losing Seal and Lenny was hard but losing Indy was especially difficult. She was the one who would sit on my lap and begin nursing on my clothes. I wouldn't be paying her any attention and when I would get up from the chair I would have a large soggy spot on my clothes. She was my shadow. (sigh)

The super early spring/summer we experienced messed up my garden plans, as it did most gardeners. Such a crazy season. I learned quite a bit about using my greenhouse. This was first season using one and there is a learning curve. Working full-time makes it hard to keep the temperature regulated. When I work 12-8 it's not too big a deal to check the thermometer and make adjustments. The days I work 8:30-5:00 are a little more tricky. I must come home on my lunch hour to unzip the mesh covered windows, doors and if it is really warm roll up the sides.

My peach tree had an abundance of fruit but I was only able to enjoy one peach (which was fabulous) because someone waited until the peaches were dead ripe then stole every last one of them. Angela and I had planned to make a small batch of peach jam to give as Christmas presents. The loss made me mad then made me sad.

The little fig trees have held their own. They are still pretty small but considering the weather I felt just staying a live was quite a coup for such small starts.

My grape vines and blueberry bushes didn't make it.

I visited Leahy's Greenhouse, a local greenhouse, a few weeks ago to buy a new rhubarb plant. After thinking about it I went back the next day to buy a second rhubarb and three blueberry bushes. The following day I added  2 red current bushes to the mix. Daddy was already planning to pick up my mess of plants. Then I called Mom and told her the number of plants had increased I asked her to let Daddy know the number of plants he was hauling. I didn't want him to be surprised. lol

We were finally able to attend Market today. Between a show, sickness and chances of rain Angela and I had missed the last four Saturdays. I sold a hat, a scarf I had just finished weaving in the ends and one skein of yarn. I have another scarf on the hook and need to dye some more yarn. The skein I sold was dyed using Osage Orange shavings. It made a neat mix of dark and light tones.

My sisters and grandniece and I are having a girls nite at Angela's house this evening. Homemade pizzas, ooey gooey butter cake, a. new Barbie movie for Jaidyn and a little crafting for the sisters ... should be a fun evening. [smile]

A Little Update

It surprised me to see I hadn't posted in three weeks. The month of June seems to have flown by until poof it's now July. Daddy told me as I got older time would become a fleeting thing and he was right!

One Friday evening in the middle of June Angela, Mom and Daddy did the Survivor's Walk at the Relay for Life event in Bedford. It was pretty special watching them walk arm in arm around that track knowing what they have gone through and what Daddy and Angela still face. Heather and Angela did the Caregivers lap. Because of the "boot" I wasn't able to make that lap, but halfway around the track Jaidy joined them so that was fun. Debbie and I sat in the bleachers for the most part but Deb did get a few photos.

Market has continued to be profitable for Angela and I. Her hats and felted bags are popular and my yarn is getting a good response. So yay!

This morning Jack, a fellow who sells beautiful wooden bowls at Market, gave me a bag of Osage Orange shavings. Before he tries a new-to-him wood Jack does a little research. He found that Osage Orange was a safe wood for his bowls and was once used by Native Americans to make a yellow dye. He thought I might be able to use it and brought it along this morning. The next time he uses Red Cedar he will save me another batch of shavings.

Natural dyes is something I want to explore this summer. Last year I dyed with Indigo but I really want to expand into things like native woods, plants and wild blooms. I'm looking for a Coleman type camp stove so I can continue to dye outdoors. Keeping my mess, and the heat, outside is always a good thing.

Please Angela in your prayers. She will begin chemo again a week from Independence Day.

Take joy,
Penny

Looking Forward to Market

Orleans Market's Opening Day
Saturday, May 21st
8am-12pm
West side of Congress Square Park, Orleans, Indiana

Angela and I are looking forward to Market!

We will have many crocheted hats, felted bags, hand dyed yarns, mixed flower bouquets, soaps, clay buttons and whatever else we can come up with over the summer.

Planning for Market

Tomorrow I will be mailing off our application to the Orleans Farmers Market. We hope to get a permanent spot this year. Last summer we had to wait in a first-come-first-placed line each Saturday and hope for the best. It was okay but knowing ahead of time where we will be would be better.

Last Spring my lil greenhouse shelves didn't work out very well so I am looking into alternatives this week. I've found a very small walk-in greenhouse on Amazon with free shipping and am seriously considering buying it. I have some gift cards (birthday and Swagbucks) that will help with the cost. It looks like something I can put up/take down by myself and that is a big plus.

This evening I also updated my Local Harvest listing. The updates show if I use Explore but do not show when I search with Firefox .. go figure.

Better get a wiggle on and head home .. there are bunnies waiting to be fed and lil Sebastian is just as demanding as Sunny when it comes to meals. =)

I've Jumped on the Hat Band Wagon

Angela sold over 200 crocheted hats this summer at Market! She makes super cute hats for babies, lil girls, big girls, teenage girls and ladies too .. but no boy hats. When a few folks began asking for boy hats she didn't want to make them. You can't really frou-frou up boy hats. After being asked a few more times for lil boy hats I found a pattern and tweaked it to make it my own. It has ear flaps and I add a big pompom on top.

As time past a few requests came in for my hats in girlie colors .. pinks and lavenders etc.. I resisted but Angela said do it so I made a few hats. A few weeks a go someone ordered an adult ladies hat in hot pink in cotton so I made one. Can you say bright? I added the white band and white pompom to make it pop .. I think it worked. LOL

The hats in green and purple are a wool blend that is washable. I have nearly finished a wool hat for my neighbor Nicholas. The loose ends need to be woven in and I'm making a four inch pompom for it. I think if you are going to the trouble to make a pompom it should make a statement. [smile]

We are having Angela's and niece Hillary's birthday celebration today and I have to make a run to Papa John's so I had better get a wiggle on.

Last Day of Market

Yesterday was the last day of the 2010 Market season. I had mixed feelings about the day. I was sad that I wouldn't be seeing the vendors and customers I came to enjoy visiting with every Saturday. On the other hand I look forward to sleeping in a little on Saturday mornings and need to be refreshed with that extra rest. Market was great but I'm worn out.

With the change in season Angela is having trouble with Lupus and we would covet healing prayers. She was unable to attend Market the last two weekends and very disappointed to miss the last day. She was particularly sad to miss baby Viola the Market baby and a special favorite. I was told there is a get-together planned for the vendors in February so that is something to look forward to.

Talking with customers has given us ideas for next year so we will be busy over the winter knitting and crocheting.

Wishing us all a blessed week!

P.S. I appreciate the compliments on my hand-dyed yarn!

Handpainted Yarn

I thought I would share a photo of some of the yarn I have been offering at Market. Most of the yarn is Merino or a Merino/Silk blend. I mainly used acid dyes but also a small amount of Kool-Ade in some cases to get a particular colorway. Some of the yarns are indigo dyed and vary in blue tones.

Angela took photos of our offerings to send with our 2011 show applications. We are planning to attend two shows before Market commences next Spring.With Market beginning just a few weeks after the last show we will need to work hard over the Winter months. [smile]

More Eggs

So I was wrong when I posted all four of the chickens were laying eggs. It turns out only Cicely and Rosemary were getting with the program. I had a discussion with Tansy and Marguerite a week ago and explained that their free ride was about over. They had developed nice drumsticks and becoming a "Snack-Pak" was in their future. They beat the deadline of September 17th this morning. =)

Now if I can convince them to use the nest box and not the floor of the coop. Tansy is a big girl and even after I moved the box around she still squeezed her chubby self behind it. Silly girl.

Angela and I had a very successful Market Day yesterday. I sold two skeins of yarn, one of which is going to New Jersey. Angela sold over two dozen baby hats! It was crazy!! She also sold some felted bags including one she made from my indigo dyed yarn. The lady bought two other bags but kept going back to the ID one until she finally bought it. She loved the idea of the natural dyed yarn. Very cool!

Have a blessed week!

Week's Update.

My sister Debbie brought Jaidy to the Library on Friday. They popped into the office and visited for a few minutes. Deb told me Jaidy said she wanted to go to the "Liberry" to see Penny, play and get books. Big yay that she put me before play and books! ;^)

We had a great day at Market. The weather was perfect! We spent time visiting with friends, got a little baby love and made some money. My hand dyed wool received some compliments and a couple of folks were intrigued by the indigo dyed yarn and shibori.

I worked on a silk scarf this morning. It is almost ready for the indigo vat. If it is "photo worthy" I'll ask Angela to take a few photos. This afternoon I will prop up my feet and but the rest of the indigo yarn on the swift and use my ball winder. I should have five skeins to take next Saturday.

I also need to make more earrings to cover the ones I sold yesterday and fill up my display. I think I'll make a few dainty little earrings for young ladies. Most of what I create are long and not really appropriate for the younger girls.

Tomorrow I go to Carmel, Indiana to see my knee surgeon, Dr. John McCarroll. He is the doctor who did my ACL reconstruction several years ago. My nurse practitioner thinks I have a cyst on the tendon of my right knee. It has begun to bother me so I decided it should be taken care of before Angela has her surgery at the end of the year. Hopefully it won't be a big deal.

Take care and stay cool!

What's been going on lately .....

The last few weeks have been a mixed bag of life.

May 12th-16th Angela and I went to quilt retreat. This retreat came about through the Back Porch Friends, a Yahoo group Angela started several years ago. Ladies come from all over the country, and usually our friend Michelle from Canada also attends, to visit and sew together. We have been doing this for several years and enjoy it very much.

I'm the only non-quilter who attended this time. Usually our sister Debbie comes with us but Marjorie Melvin, Deb's mother-in-law passed away on May 8th and Bill Melvin, her father-in-law, was nearing the end of his time on earth.

Sunday, May 16th, our uncle Jerry Myers passed away. The morning of May 17th Debbie called to tell me Bill had died a little after midnight. Margie was 85 and Bill was 91. David, my brother in law, lost both his parents in eight days. We attended their double funeral on Thursday and funeral visitation for our uncle on Wednesday evening. It's been a very difficult time and I ask you to please keep Deb, David and their daughter Hillary in your prayers.

Saturday, May 22nd, was the opening day for the Orleans Farmers Market Angela and I are vending there this season. We were pretty pleased with our sales. Ange sold several of her sweet crocheted baby hats and a few little felted bags. I sold a few pairs of earrings. Next weekend I will have hand dyed yarns and soaps to offer too. I have to work at the Library that Saturday but Angela will be there with either Mark or Heather.

I will be probably attending the market solo after next month, unless I can talk Miss Heather into going with me. Angela will be having surgery to remove a brain tumor in a month or so and will be recuperating the rest of the summer. We covet prayers for her surgery and recovery.