Marie Grace Designs

The accidental farmer...

Well... okay... maybe it wasn't all that accidental.

Though I've been rather busy knitting there's been lots of other stuff going on too.

Mac Daddy's tractor was delivered and let me tell you the man is in love. Anybody know where I can get some worsted wool in Cub Cadet yellow?

I informed him that he is now pre-paid for any gift giving occasion that occurs for the rest of his life.

Its your birthday? Go look at the tractor. Happy birthday.

Christmas? Go look at the tractor. Merry Christmas.

Our anniversary? Go look at the tractor. Happy anniversary.

(You get the idea.)

The kids are getting big and by kids I mean all of them whether they have 2 legs or 4.

From the left to the right are Nacho, Purl, and Zeke...

Purl would still be perfectly happy to come back up to the house and hang out on the sofa with me. I think she wonders what she did wrong to get put outside with those boys.

We hatched 5 chickens though we don't know what kind they are. Our 5 eggs were given to us by a neighbor and they were all a different color. Its been really neat to see how different all the chicks are.

And then there's the Goosers...

Now I realize that I am one of those people who is endlessly amused by small creatures but really these guys are in a class all their own. They are hilarious and they have no idea. They think I am their Mama and the rest of the family is their flock. We know this is normal imprinting and we were prepared for it but what I wasn't prepared for is that they also think that absolutely everything is an emergency.

She moved 2 feet to the left! Ahhh! Hurry!!

(waddle, waddle, waddle)

Oh no! She moved again!! Hurry!!

(waddle, waddle, tumble, waddle)

Quick!! We're going the WHOLE WAY across the yard!!! Hurry!!!

(waddle, waddle, tumble, tumble, waddle)

I don't mind telling you that all the (human) kids enjoy the animals but Tater is my little partner-in-crime. Her and I spend time most evenings walking the Goosers around so they can pick at clover and we can laugh at the way they tumble and waddle. We let the goats out of their pasture because they enjoy being with us. They follow us down into the woods so they can eat the wild roses that have taken over the hill and Purl especially loves to run full out as fast as her short legs can carry her back up over the hill to the front of the house so she can stand on the porch where she used to go to get her milk bottle.

Zeke will eventually grow to be a big goat so we have started training him on a halter and lead. He took right to it so even Tater can walk him and she just looks so proud of her silly goat wearing his fancy new halter.

I suppose a real farmer would think most of this is waste. We won't be eating our chickens and the one dairy goat we have is a boy. Geese won't do anything but leave a mess in their wake. So what good is all this anyway?

Well, I'm one of those people who's mind never stops ticking. My hands must be busy and my mind must be occupied to keep my heart content. Quiet time makes me jumpy and relaxing isn't in my vocabulary. I don't sit still and I don't know that I really want to.

But being out on the hill with geese at my feet makes me smile. Listening to Tater tell them stories in her little warble voice as she builds little hay nests for them warms me and I can breathe deeply.

So while the boys play in the woods and eldest daughter talks on the phone about the horses she got to feed and brush at a friend's house Tater and I hang out with geese and goats.

And its totally worth it.

Finley Knitting Pattern

Finley is a textured Gansey style coat designed for both boys and girls. The hood, long length, and turned cuffs make it warm and functional as well as beautiful.

For the knitter, Finley offers rich texture and classic cabling. The entire coat is worked from the bottom up and utilizes traditional gusset shaping at the underarms and neckline. The continuos front moss stitch bands paired with the gusset shaping means there’s minimal finishing and the overall textures and cables remain undisturbed throughout the knitting.

Sizes:
2-3 (4-6, 8-10, 12-14) years.

Finished Measurements:
Chest: 29.5 (33.5, 37.5, 41) inches.
Length: 16 (20, 23, 26) inches.

Yarn:
Vermont Organic’s O-Wool Classic
100% certified organic merino
3.5 ounces/100 grams per hank
198 yards/181 meters per hank
5 (6, 7, 8) hanks
Sample shown in color “Slate”.

Needles:
32 inch US#7 (4.5mm) circular.
1 set of US#7 (4.5mm) double point needles.
OR the size needle you need to obtain appropriate gauge.

Extras:
Stitch markers, waste yarn, tapestry needle, 6 shank buttons.

Skill level:
Experienced.

Skills Needed:
Working from a chart, cabling, underarm gussets, inverted neck gussets.

Gauge:
18 stitches/25 rows = 4 inches over stockinette stitch.

Price: $6.00
Your printable pattern will be immediately downloadable in Adobe PDF (v5.0 or later) format

In Living Crafts magazine...

So here it is, my post on my first design(s) to be published in a national magazine. I guess I'm supposed to be all professional and just lightly pass it off. Maybe post about what we had for breakfast or write about some deep and meaningful thought I had while stuffing dirty socks (not knit ones) in the washing machine this morning and then just sort of mention in "by the way" fashion that there's this design in this magazine and it happens to be mine.

But really, I'm totally thrilled with the whole deal and I feel a bit vindicated after all the crap I take for doing primarily kids designs. So if it seems like I'm bragging I apologize cause I'm really just trying to share a happy moment and I want to say thank you to those who dig the kid's stuff.

And not only did I get a call asking if I could come up with a really cute cape, of all things, but it even landed on the cover...

It was a really fun project to design and knit and believe it or not I've had a sketch of a hooded cape in my "someday" sketch binder for quite some time.

Little Red's cape is a bottom up knit that is designed to be easy to work. After the bottom seed stitch border is worked 2 front seed panels are established as well as 2 front cable panels. Once these elements are set in place they remain completely undisturbed for the entire project, clear up through the hood.

It's knit with O~Wool Classic which is one of my favorite wool yarns because its really soft and smooth and the color choices are fabulous. You won't find a truer red yarn anywhere. (I, however, still can't manage to photograph red colors properly so don't take my word for it... go get yourself a sample.)

The only tough part about this whole thing is that Tater was really disappointed that we wouldn't be keeping the cape so before I sent it off to Living Crafts I took her picture for her. (She's really gotten used to being a little model and can put on her "I'm a diva" hat rather quickly.)

And just to prove that I can, indeed, do something other than kid's stuff there's also a great Vest for Dad in the same issue...

Now I know there's a shortage of men's patterns and I know a lot of us drag our feet when it comes to knitting for the men in our lives but it doesn't get much more classic, or easier, than this.

Dad's Vest is knit in the round from the bottom up so it goes relatively quickly though the stockinette section. The texture across the chest begins after all the armhole shaping so you won't have to fiddle with decreasing and keeping a stitch pattern correct at the same time.

Green Mountain Spinnery's Cotton Comfort yarn is a pleasure to knit with and even the guys will be happy to wear it.

So there ya have it. I wonder what's next!

:-)

MS&W (the aftermath)

So here it is, Wednesday already, and I'm just now getting around to posting about Maryland Sheep and Wool.

This year was a first for me helping out as a vendor. I hung out with Meredith at the Llamajama booth where we peddled yarn, finished knits, wool care products, and of course my patterns. It was a very different experience from just being a spectator, much more tiring. Business was good and I had a great time talking to lots of knitters (except of course for Bezzie who was too much of a snob to stop by and say hello) and even ran into a few people from my home town.

Now, if you guys haven't figured out yet that I don't get out alone much let me tell ya... I don't get out alone much. In fact, I'm pretty sure I can't remember the last time I went somewhere alone for more than an hour or so therefore a 2 1/2 hour drive and an entire weekend away was a real trip... literally. I did my share of worrying that I'd get lost driving in Maryland (I didn't) or that something terrible would happen at home while I wasn't there (nothing did).

I had an amazing moment Friday night after the booth was all set up... there I was with 2 good friends and free beer... no man to claim me... no kids that I was responsible for... no livestock that I needed to feed... just open spaces, fiber vendors, friends, and beer. The really crappy part about it is that it didn't really dawn on me how cool of a moment that was until Tuesday morning when I was home and doing laundry in my basement.

So anyway, I did manage to do a little shopping of my own while I was there. Some yarn, festival shirts, gifts for the kids, and I even bought a pair of hand knit socks for Mac Daddy. Now he has knit socks... and I didn't have to knit them.

My favorite thing of all though is my new plate I got for my truck. If you've never seen the artwork done by Conni Togel you are so missing it! Our booth was really close to hers so I had a chance to talk to her and her husband and they were both exceptionally nice. Her artwork is so colorful and fun...

So now that I'm home and have had a few days to clean the house and get everything back in order after leaving Mac Daddy and the kids home alone for 3 days recover I'm picking up where I left off knitting-wise. I've got a new pattern to release and a tutorial to finish up. Also, the magazine work I mentioned a while ago is out and about and up there on my side bar. I'll give some details in my next blog post, hopefully tomorrow.

Off to Maryland Sheep and Wool festival...

So much for a decent blog post before I leave for Maryland.

Between getting my stuff and myself ready to leave in the a.m. and trying to make sure Mac Daddy and The Crew have everything they need before I go, there's no time for much of anything.

I'll be helping out at the Llamajama booth (outside East area). We'll have lots of yarn, printed patterns, and great ready to wear knitted items.

We plan to attend the Ravelry party Saturday night, too!

Stop by and say Hi! I'm going to have a hard time staying at the booth with all the yarny festivities going on!