Oregon, flocked and fibered!

Here is some of what I love about the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival!
As you can see, a good time was had by all. It was so great to see everyone and to play!

Knitters
these three lovelies watched us set up Saturday morning

and then we got to watched them until opening time

knitterly friends

knitterly friends wearing their knits, lovely eh?

I met these two wonderful wooly-ware selling women 7 years ago. It was both of our first OFFF and our booths have been side by side ever since. A blast!!

and Sheila the glass goddess!

this man made my raveny heart sing
John Beard and his Oregon Swift Robe based on the Ravenstail Robe of the Tlingit

Notorious Sock Knitters and there neww zombie monkey friend.

those wild pdx bloggers!

Then there were some that just, well, you can see, Magical

Some of us made new friends.

Meet Henry, the new barn boy! He is the sweetest furry thing.

aawwww!

wool,lots and lots of wool…

The End!

Knitting life

The walls are closing in, the air is thick and heavy and hard to breathe.
My shoulders are bowed under weights real and perceived.
Soon any movement will feel like a burden.
Out of the corner of my eye I notice a ball of yarn and needles on the sofa.
My attention is drawn so I walk over, sit down, and take them in my hands.
The yarn is a comfort, soft to touch. I bury my face in it and smell its sheepiness.
Slowly, intentionally, I make a loop and slide it onto the needle.
One loop, a small opening.
Another easily follows and then, with no effort or time, another and then another.
Soft ridges all lined up in a row, contentedly sitting there together.
I take the other needle and put it through the front of the first loop, wrap yarn around the back, and coax it through to the other side as the first one gracefully makes its way off the needle and into a stitch.
Such a simple thing, a very small cozy space framed in color and texture.
A stitch, one single stitch.
Followed by another and then another gracefully flowing off one needle and onto the other. 
Simple and fluid, this movement of yarn and needle.
The air seems lighter. I try filling my lungs. Deep breath in and out, another and another.
Space within which to move.
I then wrap the yarn twice around the needle and work all the way down the row, turn around, and now each stitch made drops off into an even bigger space.
Shoulders lighten and the walls recede.
Air in, needle through loop, yarn around back of needle, through loop, and then a space, a stitch, again and again. 
Such a comfort this repetitive making of stitches with wool. Creating space, marking time as each one builds onto the next.
Breathe
Knit.
Breathe.
Knit.

Monday, Monday…

too soon for me! Not enough weekend and certainly, not enough play.
I usually do not have a hard time with Mondays and that whole beginning of the work week thing.
When you own the business and operate it mostly from home, work happens in all kinds of time.
Not a traditional set up so not a traditional work-time frame. 

Because of massive deadlines that my over active imagination gets me into and my over zealous optimism that believes I can accomplish quite a lot in any given day.
Well… there is never enough time.
So I am sitting here trying to find the positive about today being Monday.
What is good about Monday?

hmmmm....

I know one thing.
In 5 minutes Debra will show up and following her Becky and then Joann and Paula and Anneli and last and by no means least Rosebud.
I have not seen these wonderful women in two days and miss them.
They are part of my family and on Monday morning before we dive headfirst into things we catch up on the what we did and how we all are.
It is quite lovely!
Oh,oh, this reminds me this past Saturday, the 6th of September, marks three years that Debra has been here.
I am so thankful that Debra waltzed her sweet self into my life. She is one of those grounded earthy people that is not afraid to work and will be there.
She is fun and loving and I know that I can depend on her.

Well look at this a great reason to be happy about today--Monday.
Ok, I am going out to the barn to say good morning and visit.

Have a great Monday!