and check your map here……………for the scoop on where to find it all at the MidWest Fiber and Folk Art Festival. It won’t be long now and the new location promises to be the best ever! Brooks Farm Yarn will be spending time in booths 210, 218 and 219. 

If you are in the DFW area this weekend, make your way to the grand opening of the KnittingFairy Yarn Studio. It promises to be a real “occassion” with lots of knitting goodies as well as tempting things to eat!  Get on out to 2100 N. State Highway 360, Suite 1901, Grand Prairie, TX and say hi to Alissa.

a chill on the mountain and lots of rain awaited our arrival.  We left a little earlier than usual after a last minute decision.  I was scrambling to get clothes together and the truck loaded when Nathan arrived and lent a hand with the heavy things.  Strong boy is such a blessing. It wasn’t long before our late afternoon start had us safely in Childress for the night. 

 It took us about 5 minutes of looking through the backseat to discover that a certain small suitcase holding the next days clothing, extra shoes and all of our toiletry items were missing in action.  In all the hustle to get the truck loaded, we Ieft a bag full of essentials at home. My first reaction was one of resignation but on second thought, the horror of leaving a hotel in the early morning sunlight sans make-up and a tamed head of hair, left me wishing for a large floppy brim hat.  I seriously considered digging “Delilah” out of the trailer for a little morning camouflage.

 A new day and a quick trip to a local Wal-mart had me well equipped, note the new makeup bag.  The choice was a $14.00 floral plastic zippered bag that wouldn’t hold nearly enough or this……….

Only $2.00 and  I get  look at the Jonas Bros every morning for the emainder of the trip!  A better bargain could not be found but I will reserve judgement on the entertainment value.

wa la....make up bag to dye for!

Estes Park greeted us with the usual beauty of the mountains, an abundance of wildlife, and this year, roaring streams.  The stories about early thaw of the mountain top snow causing the rivers and streams to push outside their banks reached our local news even before we left Texas. Combine that with the non-stop rain  and we had some high water points along the road to the park.

Can you hear the roar?

In case any of us ever wondered if sheep and goat people are serious about their animals, take a quick look at the transportation provided for some of the show animals.

It's all about image!

Pretty spiffy, don’t you think?  Sheep ranching and showing off the prize stock is big business.

No matter how many times we are faced with 35-50 yarn containers and 12 empty racks, it never gets easier. I stand  and stare and wonder how on earth it all happens.  It is an even bigger shock when I have to face the reality that we have “no people” flying in to save the day!  It is just you and me, baby, as Randall and I tackle the inventory.  It always gets done and we go from this……

Where are our "people".....

Let's build a Triple S Shawl!

to this…… in short order and before you know it, we were in business.

Visiting us this year, was Marisa who gave us the pleasure of seeing this beautiful violet cardigan made from Mas Acero.  She did a great job of knitting and produced this perfectly fitted sweater.

Three Cheers for Marissa and the Beautiful Violet Mas Acero Sweater

As in previous years, we enjoyed our stay at the Wildwood Inn and some really nice meals at some old favorites, including the Sundeck Restaurant, where the soups are devine, the trout fresh and the key lime pie stunning! 

uh, could we have another spoon please?

 Even with the non-stop rain and the frigid temperatures, we had a grand time.  As we leave Estes on Sunday evening, there was even a little icing on the cake.  Randall and I took 2 extra days to play in New Mexico before returning home. It doesn’t get any better than that.

I was just getting back into the groove of thinking about new garden additions and cleaning up after a long winter neglect when lo and behold, I am looking at triple digit temps for the weekend.  What happened to time to plan and gradually build up to the big summer bloom and crushing heat?  I went from Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival where it was barely spring at all, to being home and catching my breath before the Wool Market at Estes Park when I turn around and it is not just time to gasp at the cold splash of a spring pool but time to hit the water to really cool off.

After thinking my yard would never measure up to last summer, I dove head on into ripping out the old, pruning back the untamed and fertilizing the ones in need of a vitamin boost. Then and only then can I enjoy my most favorite summer pastime….scanning the aisles of a local nursery.

hmm, one flat....or two

 Not just any old nursery but one that has the slightly unusual specimens to tempt my pocket book, and the best of all, one that has a sale of 30-50% off!  This is the best!

After sauntering down the aisles several times, I finally make some decisions and have a plan.  The bounty loaded and head to home. Such joy to put the plants in the ground and envision the promise of even more beauty in the coming weeks. I hope when we return from Estes, the baskets will be over flowing, the spreading rose will be taking charge of its locale and the Passion Flower vine will be firmly attached to the fence.   I sometimes think I can almost see my plants growing.  The morning inspection with the first cup of coffee of the day gives me hope for continued beauty and a peacefulness that carries me through the day…hmm, well, most days!  I can look around the yard and wonder if I have a favorite plant of all and the answer is no but the one always makes me smile, is the big round, low pot of Purslane.  Its perfect little hardy blooms never fail, require little more than water and give me a bright spot of color, all summer long.  Let’s hear a cheer for the ever faithful Purslane.

Gotta love em

Two days ago, while dyeing yarn, I decide to do a more thorough inspection of the lime tree, known to me and mine as the Tequila Tree!  I like the whole concept of growing my own limes for the occasional taste of tequila.  I do a once over and upon my recheck, let out a shriek…… YES, there limes in the making.

Maybe pencil eraser size now, but just wait!

After allowing the tree to freeze in 2008, blow over in its pot several times in 2009, spilling several piles of potting soil and leaving its poor roots exposed, I was convinced that the fragile little blossoms had been shaken from their hold and I would have to wait yet another year for their “citrusy” goodness.   But no, I was wrong, I had no faith!  There are lots of these little guys and I will do my part to see that they are sacrificed to only the best tequila or Key Lime pies!

I must get back to the dye pots as next Wednesday will be here before I know it.  There are always more white skeins waiting to make an appearance on the dye deck.

We will see you soon in Estes Park and don’t forget to join us on Facebook!

"Ellie" just hanging around!

Rainbows, summer gardens, a box of crayolas!

The "Go With Anything" shawl Triangulum

Check out these and more beautiful patterns at KnittingFairy.com  and be sure and see us again at Brooks Farm Yarn on Facebook.

Visit us on Facebook

or so they say.  I’ve had pictures sitting in my camera from Stitches West and since that time, we have had Nathan’s birthday celebration, DFW Fiber Festival, Stitches South in Atlanta and Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival .   Time to reflect is such a luxury these days, and when hampered by a fierce rivalry between competing web browser and the internal workings of my computer; the progress can come to a halt.  This post has been written since the week  before the MSWF but not being able to edit caused more than slight hesitation before publishing …..called chaos in print after days of fumbling around, uninstalling and re-installing a browser that would be compatible with Wordpress.  Thankfully, Sara updated the old Wordpress and as soon as my learning curve for the new version is up to snuff, I will be back with pictures and text.  Until that time, join us on Facebook at Brooks Farm Yarn.  Yes, we are there.  Thank you Sara for bringing Brooks Farm one step further into the 21^st century with the addition of Facebook and a new cash register, all nicely programmed and ready for use.  Did I mention learning curve…..this new device will take a bit of practice…..

When we enjoyed our sunny little grassy area tucked in behind the pavilion and next door to classrooms at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  Remember those days?  Well, now is the time to forget this picture in your mind.

This year, a lot of us who enjoy being outdoors during the festival….what’s not to love, a little sun,  a lot of rain and the occasional wind storm!  That is what makes MSWF exciting!  Well, now you may have to look a bit further north to find us but we will be there with lots of yarn and some new ones to tempt your needles.

  Look for us at N11….not familiar, go north folks, go north!

 although much of it was spent in the front seat of a truck. No sooner did we return from the long and perilous road from Pittsburgh, than we had to be packed and ready to leave for Santa Clara, CA in three short days.  It was a test of my ability to organize and keep focused but we finally hit the road on Saturday before the show. 

I have always enjoyed the drive to California.  There is something about the changing landscape as we drive through west Texas, New Mexico and Arizona that mesmerizes me.  I love the emptiness of the countryside and the play of light on the hills as we cover miles.  We made really good time leaving Texas as IH10 has these leading you to New Mexico.  We don’t see signs like this very often.

Before we knew it, El Paso was in view and one of the things I love most as we drive through town is the unbelievable color of the highway bridges and overpass walls.

 I once made notes of color combinations  for future yarn skeins.  It is a little difficult to get great pictures while driving at 60 mph, but here is one that didn’t get away.

What we saw traveling through southern Arizona was different this year. Obviously, the rains had come to Arizona this winter.  For once, I note a faint green mist of grass growing below the cacti and lots of  low growing blooms of yellow flowers.  Pictures do not do it justice but stopping was a must.

Over 3 days of driving and we were in Santa Clara well before the women of BFY arrived. Crystal, Dena and Alissa, aka the KnittingFairy flew in just in time for the set up.

 Upon  our arrival at the San Jose Airport, we got a glimpse of the new parking garage adjacent to the terminals. Take a look…..

The different levels of the garage were shrouded by a metal curtain with the most wonderful depictions of hands, all formed by the strategic placement of what looked like large white plastic buttons. I felt as though I needed to put my hand up to the truck window and touch them, reach out and be part of the picture. As inspiring as this was, it was soon to be over shadowed by a lot of anxiety.  While circling the terminals, I got the phone call from Dena, the call telling me that O’Bob was missing in action at home.  The little escape artist had found a slip of a space at the gate of his temporary backyard.  We can only speculate after the fact that he headed down the street, seeking the joy and companionship of hundreds of little elementary school students who were making their way home for the afternoon.  Little Bob loves everyone and thinks that everyone reciprocates his affection.  Somewhere along the line, someone forgot to spread the word and the little devil ended up in the care of the Animal Control Officer for the City of Lancaster.  Despite Dena’s ultimate fears and a sense of dread on my part,  Nathan reported that there was indeed a call from Animal Control on our home phone. Whew…. all was well and Bob only had to worry how soon bail would be posted and when he could start his next adventure. Believe me, he had quite an adventure. He bounced from location to location and never missed a beat.  I swear he smiles and jumps for joy every time he sees a friendly face and thankfully, there were a lot of them along the way.We were all thankful for Dena’s army of friends and family who stepped up and took charge of finding and  caring for Bob in our absence, especially Bobby, who even allowed Bob a brief stay where few dogs have dared to wander…his lap!  The tale doesn’t exactly end here, but by now, Dena’s daddy has forgotten his attempt to end an 8 year hiatus from driving his little red truck in an attempt to find  O’Bob.  I am not sure at this point if he even remembers that he fell trying to get into the truck. What we do know is that he did not break his almost new hip repair but has a severe contusion of said hip.  He is recovering nicely in a rehab facility and Dena reports he still plays a mean game of dominoes. Get well Charlie and get back home soon!

Those of us in California could only marvel at Dena’s ability to handle it all from afar and still tend to the business at hand. 

 It was a long but fun weekend and we all headed back home somewhat in disbelief that it is another show year in the making.  Two down and uh….how many left on the calendar?  It doesn’t pay to look that far ahead.  At least the next one on the agenda isn’t half way across the country.  Man, what fun to be able to play in our own backyard.  Hello Addison, TX and the DFW Fiber Festival! 

was the reality. When we pack up and head northeast in the middle of February, we always know there is a possibility of snow in our future.  We watch and wait for a forecast that clues us how to pack and when to leave. 2010 was no exception and we left town a day early.  The weather in Pittsburgh called for snow showers throughout the weekend but the temps didn’t look too bad. We left town feeling comfortable about the conditions we would face.

Being a lifelong Texans, we know when our forecast calls for snow; we can expect ¼ to at most, an inch or two.  This caught everyone in north central Texas by surprise.  Nathan came home from work late on that Thursday evening to avoid rush hour traffic.  He made it almost to his driveway, after being assisted out of “stuck” position on the hill by Jose who was on tow patrol for those living on Red Oak Road.  Rather than calling on Jose again, he walked the rest of the way home.  It was obvious no one was going to make off with his truck during the night.

By Friday morning, the accumulation had grown and throughout  the day it just kept coming.  Not to be isolated on Red Oak Road all weekend, there was solution at hand and Nathan was ready and willing.  Just call him the Lancaster snow plow.  He never said exactly how long it took him to clear snow from the road and move tree limbs out of our neighbor’s drive so that she could even think about getting out and about.   

In our absence, O’Bob got to spend his days at Shiloh Road Kennels with Joan Jung. He had excellent accommodations and great care in addition to being allowed to go out and play in the snow.  Joan very nicely sent me these and they elicited a great big “Ahhh” from me when opening the email.

Jose measured 14 inches when all was said and done.  Wouldn’t you know, we missed a record breaking snow storm while at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Show.  We may been elsewhere but we did have our moments of snow kicking and snow ball tossing. If you look to the left hand corner, you can see the top of the trailer peaking out above the mounded snow.

We may have had our fill of the fluffy white stuff, both at home and in Pittsburgh but we will surely remember the Valentines weekend of 2010.  I was sure that by the time we got home from the long white knuckle drive from Pittsburgh that all the snow would be gone and for the most part, it was.  We had some scattered patches of the crusty stuff left to die in the shadows of daylight but what will be left for months to come is this……

Everywhere you look we have trees, survivors but wounded by the massive weight of snow and ice. It may take months to clean up this mess but when we do, there will be stacks of firewood for several years. 

Winter will soon take a backseat to spring and with it I will practice saying…….careful for what you ask…… Texas is nice when there isn’t 14 inches of snow and living someplace without real seasons isn’t so terribly bad. But for now, it is off to prepare for a trip out West….where I will be even more surprised to find snow.

and the old one has trouble letting go.  I haven’t quite figured out how to make myself feel better about all the things that were left unfinished in 2009.   It was easy to mentally take a short vacation during the holidays since I am sure I deserved it after the long show season!  Right??? Do I hear some of you seconding that proclamation?   Christmas was my first deadline and it came and went. The decorations were removed and carefully packed, firm scolding about holiday eating habits was heeded and resolutions conceived.   #1 I will start spending at least 2 hrs a day on the backlog of paperwork and weather permitting, get some dye pots warming. The next thing I know, a new year was born and I have to start learning how to write 2010 instead of 2009.  Is there anyone out there who was delighted as I to find when making that mistake….how easy it is to sneak  a one in front of the second zero and make it look like your handwriting is just a bit on the sloppy side and not that you still haven’t conceded that 2009 is gone! My New Years  lethargy isn’t helped by the fact that it is much more comfortable to curl up on the couch in front of the fire with this ……..  

than  go out in the cold and dye yarn.  What a wonderful invention, a library on the go with no pages to turn.  A light weight electronic book(s) that requires only a one handed grasp and will even read to me. What will they think of next? I can’t help but wonder if technology has gone quite far enough?    Does the “Kindler” know when I fall asleep or cease paying attention and turn itself off?  Hmm, I will report back. 

 Amid all the holiday hustle and bustle, there was this nagging thought that kept sneaking back into my consciousness.  I needed an outlet….  an outlet for my maternal instincts and my mounting jealousy.  I was jealous of Abby’s  (the primadogga) adoration of Randall, Fidencio, Dena…..well anyone but me to be exact!  I don’t know what you have to do to get on her list of FF  (favorite friends) since Randall takes her on long rides in his truck, Dena bribes her with lots of tasty morsels and Fidencio truly ….just ignores her!  I gave up a long time ago and have resorted to resentment and jealousy!  It was time for me to have a dog of my own… a smallish, non-shedding, adoring  variety.  Not too prissy, not too yippy yappy and  please…… housebroken.  I wanted a dog that would jump in the truck with me and be pleased to just be in my presence and ride. 

About a week ago, while watching the am news with a cup of coffee, there was just the answer to my needs.  There on the TV screen was the very adorable 3 yr old Jack Russell Terrier, properly neutered, housebroken and needing a home.  I made my plans for the day and was at the SPCA about an hour after they opened for the day……about an hour after the line started forming  of those who wanted MY dog.  I tried to ignore the obvious and would just take a quick walk through the kennels.  Lots of barking, yelping dogs and puppies greeted me instantly and continuously as I made my way through the aisles.  Nothing really “spoke” to me but I went around the block again, just to be sure. 

This time I noticed a  curled up, little black and tan dog that was trying to sleep through the din of barking dogs and ooing and ahing people.  His card said his name was Bob and he had been surrendered because there were too many dogs in the family.  This 8 month old terrier mix  had all his shots, had been pierced with a microchip and separated from some masculine parts….. Basically,  ready to be adopted….ouch…NOT housebroken you say! At this point, I was caught up in the moment and was going to take home a dog, no matter what.  I asked and was granted a little one on one with the pooch and was not impressed.  Not a spark to the eyes or even a feigned interest in me.  The attendant offered that he was a little “skired” which to me translated to “terrified”.  I took a deep breath and told Bob that I was going to take a chance that he would come out of his shell and become the dog that I wanted. It took almost an hour of standing in line for the “adoption” paperwork before I tentatively led Bob out to the truck.  A quick stop at a tree had me hopeful that the paperwork stating not housebroken was wrong, and then we settled into the truck.  Well, I settled in, Bob was already in a mindset that said….Free at Last! He bounced around the truck back and forth from front to back and window to window until I gave him a firm screech of “sit still”.  At this point, he sat down on the console and proceeded to watch traffic…… all the way back to the farm.  I was now impressed!  So impressed that when we pulled down the drive and met Randall, I was waving frantically and sporting a big smile, from ear to ear, absolutely thrilled with my new found friend. Randall’s initial impression of Bob was pretty much like mine but I just kept saying, “Just wait, you’ll see, he’s smart and cute and almost housebroken.  One must overstate the positives when trying to sell this scruffy little dog to that scruffy great big man!  Besides, he would be soon, I was sure. 

Sixty eight dollars later….. We were all set for this new member of the household.  Randall and Bob sat in the truck while I made a mad dash run into Wal-mart for a leash, collar, and crate.  Until he was bonded with farm and his people, he would need some restriction in his life.  That lasted 2 days!  The crate provided a transition to his real sleeping quarters…… our bed. Shall I say now, we sleep in his bed, in his house and on his farm.  This   precocious puppy has proven himself to be full of curiosity, energy, and determination. He has filled the void and pushed away all the jealousy and resentment.  I am spoiling him while using a firm voice and lots of little treats.  After our last week, he comes when called and is 75% on commands of  “sit” and “down” and with a little help….manages a “roll over”.  He also steals anything he can reach (did I mention that he can jump 4 feet up and out) and tries to get to its inner workings by pure destruction…… TV remote, cell phones, cord to my Kindle, his leash, my shoes, anything at all is  fair  game……. and I love it…him…Bob.   O’Bob, who by the way…..is housebroken after all.  Gotta love that dog!

Despite all my fawning over the Bob, we have been working on yarn this new year.  A couple of new test yarns, including the much requested Bulky will make a debut.

Dena has been knitting with the yet unnamed yarn and  it has passed her test, now time to forward it to Alissa for her magic.  Good things headed our way in 2010!