It's A Wonderful Life

I can't promise that I've not used this title before. Or, that I never will again. It's true. I reflect on this wonderful life a zillion times a day. So full of fun, family, faith, fiber, friends. Sometimes so full I don't even get to blog about it. Like these past few weeks. Alas, it's all good. So. Full. Of. Love. So full.
Here's what I've been lovin' on lately.

My Mentors



Kathleen

Let me introduce my #1 mentor. She has always
inspired me. I wish I could find a way to articulate all the reasons I love her so. She's had my heart since we met over 21 years ago, when babies were babies and life was much, much simpler. Kathleen is brilliant. Everything she touches is golden. She is loyal, funny (dang she's funny), creative, talented, an actress, mama, friend. Kathleen was my first teacher. She was the first to open doors for me when she taught me to knit. Once upon a time we were free to spend days on end together while drinking coffee and lunching on gourmet food she prepared. She can do it all, this one. And she can do it well. I wish we could hang like the old days, but I carry her in my heart everywhere I go. I wish you all a friend like Kathleen. She has been such a blessing in my life. Thank you for teaching me to knit, Kathleen! Thank you for your friendship.



Kate

What hasn't Kate taught me about friendship, life lessons, being free, fiber arts? Herein lies a golden friendship. I met Kate in a spinning circle. What I like best about Kate is her ability to be comfortable in her own skin. She is smart, genuine, talented and kind. So very kind and generous. She has taught me a lot this one. Her support and encouragement mean the world to me. Thank you for your love and friendship, Kate.



Linda

My weaving mentor. Linda took me in like a long lost relative. I recognized her on Ravelry, bumped into her last year at Maryland Sheep and Wool, and bonded over lunch at Rhinebeck. She invited me to a beach weekend with her sister and cousins, and taught me to weave. We have so much fun weaving and hanging out. We are all on the same page. I hope we have many more jammie/no makeup weekends in our future. Linda is a very talented fiber artist. Thank you for teaching me and taking me in, Linda! I treasure our friendship.



KateyJ

Oh, the faviest of new friends. Have you ever met someone who instantly felt like a sister? Katey is that person. I admire so much about Katey. She is incredibly talented, generous, funny, honest and wise. This girl has gifts. She's got ur back. I love her so. She was most recently in town for the Dragonfly Fibers Studio Open House and Homespun Yarn Party. She made me the happiest of socks.



She gifted me this adorable crochet book just 'cuz she embraced my love of crochet.



Thanks for the sisterhood, Katey. Wishing you all good things <3.



Lauren

If you ever wanted to know everything about spinning, Lauren is your girl. She has mentored in many ways from teaching spinning how-to's at spinning meet-ups and Homespun Yarn Party to offering support in many venues. She is the most gifted teacher of the fiber arts that I know. Lauren is one to watch, I tell ya. She's a mover and a shaker and has some seriously cool plans in the works. Stay tuned. You won't want to miss what Lauren has to offer!

My life has been touched by so many mentors...too many to list, but they've been featured in this space before. I've just been counting my lucky stars for these five lately.

New Toys

There are some new toys in the studio these days.
Weaving has taken off with the addition of extra heddles for my Cricket loom-


This was the breakfast table on my last weaving overnight with Linda and her lovely cousin, Elaine. Elaine graciously hosted us for a slumber party/weave fest following the Homespun Yarn Party. It was like being on an indulgent retreat with healthy gourmet meals. Always so fun with Elaine and Linda and their family. Regarding the toys, I just have to order the 5 dent and my Cricket will be complete.



I wanted to promote this company because I'm loving this new vendor. I ordered my new peg loom from Lynette. She built this loom completely to my specifications and we've even teamed up on some product development because she cares so much about her customers and what will work best for them. Kudos to this new company!



Because no one ever has enough spindles and no spindle collection is complete without a trindle. Well, and also because one's friend's cannot be outdone in generosity. This was a gift from who else. Thank you again, generous friend.

New Yarns

My passion for spinning is in the art yarns. Here's the latest.



So this is what has been filling my days lately.

Oh, and hats off to my little undefeated division basketball champion and my sweet little girl belting out Adele at the 5th grade talent show. She sounded more like Adele than Adele, says her biggest fan. So happy for the sweet little accomplishments that have blessed their lives.





These are the joys that have filled my days in March. I hope your life is filled with love and happiness and all things beautiful, too!

The Big Weiner

And the weiner is....
WAIT!!!
Do you trust this gang?



#6 looks a little skeptical.
Especially now.
But, they're honest injuns. Really.



(What's that on #7's forehead you ask? Why, it's the result of a Valentine's Day preschool party/sugar induced head splitting, noggin' busting. Holy sugar high! Awesome. That scar will go perfectly with his gray front tooth)
But I digress.

The winner is(or "The Big Weiner" in honor of K-wow's word plays)...



Jen!!!!!!!
Congrats, Jen. Enjoy your new ebook, The Bliss Filled Mama! Just need ur email, sista, and I will forward it to Kathy, who will send you a copy. How cool is that? Everyone, else...I know you will love Kathy as much as I do. Get your copy here.
Thanks for playing along and most of all for supporting my blog pal, Kathy, on her sparkly road to success. XO-

In Between

A little in between projects right now...
Finished up and gifted this dropped knit scarf in an art yarn I made when devoting myself to mothering THE SEVEN translated into me missing out on Pluckyfluff's Yarnival, a week of yarny goodness at the Boeger Winery in California. I decided I'd card up/ spin up my own yarn fest.



It was good to send this yarn out into the yarniverse. Especially because it adorns the neck of one of my beloved and favey fave friends. I smile every time I think of her and our twentysomething years of friendship.

I finished a yarn outside of my color "box." I took on a challenge at Rhinebeck to pick something outside of my color comfort zone and just see. So, I learned, after several months of wool languishing on my spinning wheel, that spinning for me needs to feed my creative spirit. And granny beige is still granny beige no matter how good someone else claims the combo will look with my eyes. Ok, I admit. It matches my hair color and eye color. Will I like it any better once I knit it up? I doubt it...



Do you like it any better in this shot?



Nah? Me neither:)

Was thinking maybe I could weave it and bring in some other colors. Now we're talkin.'

Speaking of weaving, my first project is off the loom and the second is in progress! I'll have pics for ya in a hundred years. Linda, if you're reading, the view at the beach is much more inspiring to weave to. But, I'm plugging away...eager to warp with some precious handspun. Maybe that's the ticket.

My spindled stash is growing little by little. I have a design in mind for all these minis. Hopefully, that won't fall into the "hundred year" pile of to-do's.



I finished another newborn gift. Handspun 3 ply in Spunky Eclectic Flannel. This is a quick crochet. Long-Tail Pom is the pattern. This has been my go-to baby gift lately. Quick and fun to make, most especially in a 3 ply. Oooh, this yarn was nice to work with. I made a cute pair of mitts to match.



That's it for Studio E these days. Be back in a few with some more FO's. Until then, I'm wishing you a world full of goodness and laughter and joy and friendship and love. Yes, lots of love.

Thank you, Linda

I had the most amazing weekend away at the beach!



You were so very kind to think of me



My heart is so full of gratitude



You ladies are awesome!





Until we meet again...



Thank you, Linda


XOXO, Elizabeth

11.11.11

Of course I would post today. I couldn't resist. Some things just can't wait 'til they come around again...

So many days, so full of joy- where do I even start? Let's see... there have been Elevensies parties:


and birthday parties:


#6 turned 8! I know!

#4 turned 14! Don't even get me started!


I ran a 5k. It was 34 degrees following a noreaster. 'Nuf said. You didn't really want to see that picture. Trust me.

For some reason, I keep receiving gifts and it's making my heart swell with gratitude and joy. I received an amazing package from Craftypuppylover. I won a gift certificate to her shop during Tour de Fleece. Coincidentally, the package arrived the same day as my Ebony spindle that dear Mr. Golding took in for repair at Rhinebeck. Gorgeous and brand new. Can you see it tucked in there? I couldn't wait to wrap one of Carrie's gorgeous mini batts around it! Carrie also sent some mini skeins for Hexipuffs. Yes, I've been bitten by the Hexi-bug. Knit my first one yesterday. One down, 383 hexipuffs to go. No problem.


I also won a blog giveaway from EmilyRossa Thank you, Emily! I've been so curious about this book, but have never bought it for myself. I was close once. I've been enjoying it so far. That's the latest Hello Yarn club fiber. The colorway is "Bristling." The fiber is Shetland.


I finished my Rhinebeck socks. Lol. Just in time for next year. David's Toe Up Sock Cookbook is the pattern I used. I really like this pattern. While I'm at it, I really like the author of this pattern:) Everyone knows David, right? The yarn is handspun Hello Yarn Sour Fig.







Here's the whole sock story:








Sock love.

I washed this gorgeous BFL fleece; a gift from Montana. Speechless.



I received an invitation to take part in Girl With a Hook's Batts for Headband Project over on Facebook. So I carded:









I also took Jacey up on her offer to send in a 4x4 swatch to add to a wall hanging in her studio for the filming of her upcoming Insubordiknit dvd. She's putting together an amazing piece comprised of swatches from everyone she's ever spun with. So, if that includes you, then join the project! Even if you've learned from her previous dvd,rather than in person, she'd still like you to be a part of it.



So, there ya have it. These are the joys that fill my days. Wishing you a joy-filled day, too. Enjoy your weekend!

Rhinebeck 2011

Nice view from our hillside home in Rhinebeck. Beautiful sunrises over the mountains. I shared a cottage with 7 fabulous Ravelry friends. Face-hurting hilarity and laughter ensued.

The Sheep and Wool Festival was a blast. Always so fun to be inspired by vendors and fiber artists. The meet-ups are always good. Here's the Spunky/ Hello Yarn/ Southern Cross Fiber group.

Some other weekend highlight pics:

Amy(Boogie), Me, David

Erica(Weetsie) and John(Ironjohn04)

Dale(dirkhumblejunk) and Stacie(njstacie). Just Married!!!!
Check out the wedding dress she made in just 3 weeks. Love that she wore it again to the fest. Go, Stacie!

Too full of awesomeness to contain:)

Me, Tasha(nuttnbunny), Adrian(HelloYarn), John(ironjohn04), Stacie(njstacie), and Heather(Sparkcrafted)

Fleece hunters Tasha and Allie.

Kory(HarmlessDrudge)

Christina(miukat)and Kate(DragonflyFibers)

Mmmm LOOP. Lots of action in that booth this weekend. Everyone kept going back for more. Steph and Kate, my favey faves <3. After we broke down the booth, Steph treated us to an amazing sushi dinner, sleepover and breakfast before hitting the road. Thank you again, Stephanie!

Sarah of Sanguine Gryphon, Gale of Gale's Art, my new best friend(lol) KateyJ, and Kate(Dragonfly Fibers)

I learned an amazing lesson this weekend. I have a very giving heart. I used to think sometimes that is reciprocated and sometimes not. To give freely and purely, without expectation is the point. This is how I roll. Yet, over the past week, I have been absolutely, gobsmackingly fiber bombed with so much giving that it blows me away. I received this amazing package in the mail from a dear soul I met in Ravelry. It was HUGE and filled to the brim with individually wrapped packages, each with its own lovely ribbon and hand written note. Everything in my color sense, all from my wish list. Thank you, Jen<3!

Then on our road trip, Kate gifted me a Jenkins Turkish Delight that Ed himself had given her! It is simply the most beautiful thing.

She also gave me a bag of sock yarn for hexipuffs and a bag of fluff to end all fluff. This bag was HUGE!!! It was an industrial size trash bag overflowing with her amazingly prepared and dyed fleece. This girl has a gift for fleece prep like you've NEVER seen before. Here's a peek:

I seriously never need to buy fiber again!
Yet there was a more subtle soul nourishing that transpired this weekend. The little things some people may simply take for granted but meant the world to me. The sharing of John's harvest, libations from Dale and Stacie's ongoing wedding feast, amazingly prepared meals, someone always offering a coffee, taking a plate, refilling my wine glass, rides back and forth. So much heartfelt giving. It really filled me and made me realize that giving is probably always reciprocated but maybe in the most surprising ways. Maybe even by people you've never given to before. Perhaps that's the beauty of it. and that's what makes it pure. I dunno...but it was beautiful. Never really gave much thought to karma before, but I'm pretty sure I've just experienced it. Thank you, all<3.