Green Mountain Knitting Bags – News Page

Hope you all had a good Mother’s Day :) I brought some flowers to my mom and we had a nice walk together. The next day she wondered where the flowers came from, but that’s okay…. at the time, she knew.

Had fun with Mike at Rags & Riches yesterday (well, I always do) so look for some great new fabrics this week! I’m now using different interfacing for the bags, which I find gives them additional body.

I started a big project that I’m hesitant to mention in the event that my older son and his fiancee look read this little ol’  news page (and sometimes they do) … but I will say I had fun picking out the yarn. And lots of colors I picked! I decided (this time) to go to Northeast Fiber Arts   and picked jojoland Rhythm and Cascade 220 superwash.

Full details to follow (after September 15) !  I hadn’t seen Jen from Fiberarts in awhile and we had a nice time catching up. Isn’t that one of the joys of a local yarn shop? The connections with those who love fiber…… Jen is wrapping up a course at UVM in Millinery. And that is??? Hat making. She has made spectacular felted hats, not knit and then felted, but she creates the felted fabric… sews the felt together and decorates them with all sorts of felted flowers etc. She now looks at them with a critical eye, her skills that much more polished….. and believe me, that’s saying something. So far they’ve done top hats, riding hats with veils, horse and buggy bonnets etc….. hers are in for grading. Always an inspiring visit!

As far as my new project I can’t talk about…. (!) but I will anyway :)  I found a pattern on Ravelry, downloaded it… started it, but didn’t like how the colors played in the small area, so tweaked it. Now I’m happy. Crocheting is something I really love, and taught myself when I was 8 or so. I’m actually more comfortable designing with crochet as opposed to knitting, less technical to me.

It’s still pouring out, and I have a goal to reach before I unplug my iron for the day….. so off I go.

Take good care of each other, as well as yourselves, and knit on good women!

Warmly,

Martha.

“As usual, the sock yarns have no idea what is going on.”

― Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Greetings!

Not much knitting to report other than a quick trip to Northeast Fiber Arts to pick up yarn for a shrug. I bought one at a favorite local stop and have loved wearing it….. perfect for yoga :) and I thought making a couple would use up some of my stash yarn……. so I bought new yarn ;)

There were a lot of good options,  but not many that would drape like I wanted, but I found 100% bamboo in a slightly variegated deep mauve (photos next week)… I’ve yet to cast on. Pulled out a few more rows on the top down lace sweater and am getting it back to where it was as time allows.

Monday I had another make up yoga session which went well, SO much information… I recognize it’s a great program.

We started a sour dough starter and made a loaf of bread that didn’t last long……. we’ve been in a grilled cheese phase of late.

Local rhubarb has been available and strawberry rhubarb crisp is a favorite of mine….
Christopher loved it too. And oh…… the excess juice over vanilla ice cream? The sweet and tart? Love it……..
Another batch of handles has been picked up and the color variety is beautiful! Some butternut colored maple and some very dark maple too……

Greetings and Happy May! So many flowers are in bloom but it’s been brisk! Goodness….. lots of needed rain however. I spent most of the weekend taking it easy, getting some knitting time in and going over the yoga workshop of last week. I made up the missed day (from my talk at Goddard College) on Monday and since then I’ve been back to the bags in full swing.

The knitting went well and I have just a few rows before I divide for the sleeves. There was some ‘moving the marker’ confusion but I followed the center of each section and worked the stitches accordingly. I am long waisted so I want to remember to add a few rows prior to separating the body for the sleeves. The needles I was using didn’t have a good tip so I switched to my ChiaoGoo needles. I think these really are my favorite…. I love the red (!) love the cable, lace tip and overall feel. The knitting is that much faster now what with all the ssk’s and k2tog’s…. I do get then from this Artfire shop…

Handsome Fibers

Woody is in Miami meeting his girlfriend’s parents and when I asked him if he enjoyed his flight he said… “Well I DO like it when people offer me little snacks……”

Taylor is doing well, working hard at still being a student, but teaching seems to be where his heart is.

Okay so I decided to keep the Baguette! I had to laugh as it was my pick of the week when I offered it! So now it’s housing Christopher’s sweater and a shawl….. I want to reacquaint myself with both projects. We all know how that is? Let’s see……. where did I leave off? At least it’s still on the needles…. I haven’t whipped them out for something else!

You’ve heard me speak of my good buddy Mike from the fabric shop? He’s also knows as Marguerite and was just filmed for a local commercial….. he & she are fantastic!

Enjoy!
Youtube link

Until next week, thanks for being here and let’s remember to slow ourselves down. Maybe if we can we might even find ourselves bored, imagine that

Knit on good women!
Warmly,
Martha.

Adding on….  I just came back from a walk (still Wednesday, now evening) at a special place I haven’t seen in a longtime. My family lived in Shelburne across the field from a then farm, now golf course. The farm wasn’t there long past the mid 60′s, but I remember it clearly, I was seven. The golf course holds so many memories, having seen it for so many years through so many seasons. November I think was my favorite, when the last of the diehard golfers finally vanished…. then it was ours. A huge open area surrounded by woods, with paths I helped make. We walked them often as a family, usually on Sunday’s, but I often walked alone, and sometimes with my sister. Like kids do, we collected what we found and had plastic bags full of all different colored golf tees. There even might have been a separate bag for the special, unbroken tees. There were two duck ponds both surrounded by ill tempered geese, and both became skating ponds in the winter. We cross country skied for miles and once on a full moon, New Year’s Eve, and that’s when I first saw the magic of moon on snow and I’ve been in love with it ever since.
I didn’t know if my favorite path would still be there, so much already looked so different, but it was where I remembered and I was both surprised and happy. I thought of my dad, like the time he told me the woods were ‘constant birth and constant death’… I’ve been wowed ever since. I thought about that and a lot more as I walked the path and then it suddenly wasn’t familiar anymore, and I saw a house on my left. Thinking there was just one, I walked on the edge of the woods but found myself on pavement in a large development. I not only must have looked like a deer in the headlights but I felt like one. It was such an odd feeling…… I found my way back to the woods, up a steep bank and into an open field. Knowing a duck pond was on the other side, I sat on the long grass, surprised that the walk seemed so short, regardless of the fact that the development was there. That far, to the pond, always seemed so long. But everything seemed longer, or slower then. School days, and Saturdays, and summer days….. especially summer days. And now everything is…. different, but just as it should be. Always good to slow things down. Good to feel grounded.
Good to see the path again.

April 26

Greetings! What a week! The latest stretch of the certification training started on Sunday and ran through yesterday. I’m saturated with information (!) and my body feels great. We did do a great deal of classes and postures but her restorative long held postures seemed to keep us all feeling rejuvenated.

Yesterday was my talk at the Vermont Craft’s Council’s annual meeting and one I got the volume of my voice to project I was fine! What a lovely group of people, very enjoyable for me.

That’s Warren Kimball behind me! He was a riot to sit next to and is truly a genuine person who’s happy to give back…

Warren Kimball link: http://www.warrenkimble.com/

But I felt so ready and excited to get back to my studio this morning. Missing it filled me with a whole new appreciation for my bags and what they, the business …. and all of you, mean to me.

No knitting time, so how nice it’ll be to pick it up again :)

I made up one of my iPad Cases for myself and love it! It’s perfect to slip in my knitting bag… and when it’s home, it never has to be left unprotected…. not to mention pretty fabric is always a treat to look at…

We started the day with beautiful sun but now the clouds are rolling in. This spring has been a far cry from last year with the lake level so high and so much flooding…. this year is dry and we need this rain!

Thanks for stopping in, always glad you do. Take good care and knit on good women!

Warmly,

Martha.

“Placing the blame or judgment on someone else leaves you powerless to change your experience; taking responsibility for your beliefs and judgments gives you the power to change them”
― Byron Katie

Greetings!

Things are greening up beautifully here in Vermont. As the buds and open, the mountains and hills have that lovely tint of green! Not to mention all the gorgeous flowers in bloom.

It was quite the haul at the fabric shop this week….. found new ‘Thursday’ bag and custom order fabrics in such a variety of colors….. perhaps influenced by everything else in bloom?  What a glorious time of year, and who doesn’t love these longer days!

I’ve been ‘fish sitting’ for Woody as he and his girlfriend are off on a bike trip…. getting ready to bike across the country! They leave sometime in May…..  :)

I did get in some knitting time in over the weekend, making nice steady progress on the top down lace sweater. The lace is so enjoyable and I’m thinking now that the yarn was a great choice.

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The curly yarn  > <  is the result of the red shawl being taken back (again) as I found another wonky bead that clearly I couldn’t live with! Sigh….. but it’s all a part of it. You gain rows…. and lose rows…..! It is funny to me though that the shawl is nothing but garter stitch and I’ve ripped it back more times than my most complicated knitting!

I also spent time on a yoga homework assignment which has been an interesting process for me as my last homework anything was in the ….. 70′s? Being of sound dyslexic mind…. academia often made little sense to me, so feeling my old patterns/feelings creep up made for some great awareness. There’s another 4 day workshop starting on the 22nd and running through the 25th…   but on the last day I’ll be speaking here:

Vermont Crafts Spring Conference

Yikes! I’ve never done public speaking before but am so thrilled to have been asked, so I’ll muster up the courage (!) and honestly…. talking about my business that I love so much I’m guessing will be a joy.

I picked up some pretty new leather straps for the Marketplace Bag so look for some new colors!

That’s about it, I’m off to finish up a bag and then am off to yoga!

Stay well good women and enjoy the sunshine on your faces :)

Warmly,
Martha.

Greetings!

Hope you all enjoyed the weekend! My 86 year old mom with dementia called daffodils ‘laugh-a-dils’, how adorable… and now how could I call them anything but? :)

It’s been cool here with quite a bit of rain, but today the skies are clearing.
 

I worked on the red shawl a bit, and re-wrapped what was remaining of the yarn. I had wrapped it on my nostepinne, but my skills at the tome aren’t what they are now so the yarn had become loose and was knotting. As opposed to re-wrapping it, I simply wound it into a ball and was surprised that the ball was so small! Suddenly I burst of energy and could see it completed. The shawl would come to an end by either running out of yarn or beads! I zoomed through 5 rows of knitting only to find what looked like a misplaced bead. The patten is very simple…..  a simple ‘slide a bead up, YO and knit across the row, but sometimes (not sure how it happens) a bead ends up being where it isn’t supposed to be and as much as I try to get it where I want it, it doesn’t go  ><

http://www.sundayknits.com/

http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/04/easy-fake-tubular-bind-off-casting-off.html

Till next week, stay well and knit on good women!
 

Warmly,
Martha.

“Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.”
― Elizabeth Zimmermann

Greetings!

Hope you all had a great week. We’re all thoroughly enjoying the longer days and beautiful sunshine we’ve been having. I remember last year the lake level was so high that many folks we unable to get their boats in the water until mid summer….. but we’ve seen boats in the water already!

Christopher and I had fun at an antique shop he’d never been to and yes….. vintage buttons were found (!) along with a few other treasures……

Over the weekend I worked primarily on yoga homework though found time to knit in-between, mainly on the top down lace sweater. I don’t always use markers when knitting lace, but am on this as each section grows with the increases and checking to be sure each section has the correct number of stitches is a great way to be on top of mistakes. Do I always count? No….. which lead me to taking out three rows to fix the 3 yo’s I missed! So yes Martha….. take the time to count! Lace knitting is something I love… the rhythmic pattern plays in my mind as I work the stitches…. interesting that when the first yo was forgotten, I then omitted it from the last three sections! So yes, the markers are there for a reason…. use them! Noted ;)

This other wrapped yarn is also an Ella Rae merino and surfaced from the stash :)  It’s such a spot on match that I’d love to incorporate it into the sweater, but no great thoughts have come to me …… yet. Maybe knit squares, felt them, and use them as buttons? A trim on the front bands maybe? Perhaps another project? Probably….. and I could wear the two together…… we’ll see.

It was a Tintin filled weekend :)  Love these books and read two over the weekend, not on to ‘The Broken Ear’ :)

I plan on stopping into the leather shop today to place an order for leather straps, with the Marketplace Bag being so well received, I look forward to choosing some great leather colors to work with. Talk about a fun workroom to look through….. kind of like my fabric…. only leather!

People are still saying to keep the winter tires on! But really, even if we did get a storm, at this point…… snow wouldn’t last long.

I wish you all a safe and peaceful holiday weekend…. let’s find time to knit!

Back next week good women!

Warmly,
Martha.

We have a delay tonight but are doing our best. Bags will be about 15 min late, thanks! Five bags and two iPad cases.. enoy!

Greetings!

I’m freezing! We’re back to winter now that it’s spring… The sugaring season is over and I was able to snag a half gallon before this years crop is gone. Dark amber is my favorite ….

It’s been another busy week, custom work and having fun with the new styles…. the red beaded shawl continues and I cast on a top down sweater called Daydreams in Lace.Right away I checked for any errata and found one, made sure I had the updated pattern and cast on, but there’s been little time to knit save a bit over the weekend. I’m cast on with Ella Rae extrafine merino. I’ve knit with this before and have to say it’s a favorite. I did question it, thinking maybe something with linen or silk would have a better drape but I can see already that I love this. Most of this yarn is multicolored but I was able to find three skeins in a slightly shaded pale lavender…. so the lace should show up beautifully (here’s hoping) !

Thanks for the feedback on the Marketplace Bag… great response and I appreciate it! I added a few iPad pockets to custom bags this week and will be incorporating it into various styles from now on. If you don’t have an iPad, it’s a great yarn size pocket too! All that lead me to thinking about putting together iPad cases. Cases are rarely something I choose to send my time on (bags are the priority) however I love the look of these and they’d fit nicely into the bags, and they’re enjoyable to make.  I’ll have a few for this week’s listings…

Taylor’s kitten is adorable! And sleeps with his huge(!) paws over his face! It melts me every time I look at it….

Many of you have probably seen the gadget called The Knit Kit…

I saw them for the first time at The New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival but discounted it as… too big maybe? Well something about it stayed appealing to me so I ordered it, finally, and love it! The fact that it IS big is perfect for me. Over the weekend I used the row counter, measuring tape, scissors and stitch markers AND they were all easy to find, I love it. And it’s pink!  ;)

It’s one of those afternoons where I’m trying to do so many things in a small amount of time, so off I go…

Take good care and knit on good women!!

Warmly,
Martha.

‘Everything happens for me, not to me.’

~ Byron Katie 

Greetings!

And Happy Spring! It certainly has arrived here with temperatures in the low 80′s. It’s amazing, but that’s what it is. I had mentioned sugaring in an earlier post and have found out that the season is over! The sap started flowing in February, so those who were prepared were the ones who reaped this year’s bounty. Those I’ve spoken with say it’s maybe half the yield of the last season…… Granted we’re all enjoying the weather (!) but the concern now is that buds will open and then a hard frost will hit. Not good. Next week temperatures in the 50′s are expected, still warm but a bit more reasonable!
These beautiful flowers are from Femme’s garden and she said she’s never had daffodils and crocuses up at the same time! Honestly, for the first day of Spring it feels like mid summer!

Look for a new style this week. It’s a great bag for gals on the go. Leather shoulder straps, double sided exterior pockets (three for notions, one for your pattern and a cell phone pocket too). Holds a lot but is sleek and contemporary. The Marketplace Bag…..

With so many patterns now available for download, I often find myself viewing a screen of some kind as opposed to having a pattern with me. So this week I’m offering a bag with an iPad pocket and I’d like to incorporate this more frequently into existing styles or perhaps have a style where it’s always offered. I’d love some feedback on that if you please……. ;)

One my way home last week I stopped in and had a visit with the gals at Northeast Fiber Arts. We got into a great discussion about knitting needles and Jen showed me the new Knitters Pride interchangeable circular sets. I’ve never had interchangeable needles so decided to give these a go:

My hope is that the acrylic tips aren’t too slow, but I spoke with someone who has used them and she gave them a thumbs up. The joins look easy and smooth, the colors are great and the case in Pink :)
Sold :)

Click this link to see what Clara Parks from The Knitter’s Review has this to say about the bamboo sets.

How often are our needles on a project when we want to start another???? Often enough so I think the interchangeables will gets lots of use. I do wish the sizes started in smaller needles, I find myself on size 3′s a lot, but apparently they’re too small so the joins lose their strength.

If you’d like, you can browse through some of my knitting projects, just look to your right…..
Thanks all for stopping in! Oh… thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback this week, it’s great hearing from so many of you and I’m trilled you love your bags, I know I love my end of it ;)
Be good to yourselves good women and knit on!

Warmly,
Martha.

‘As you inquire into issues and turn judgments around, you come to see that every perceived problem appearing “out there” is really nothing more than a misperception within your own thinking.’

~ Byron Katie

Greetings! I know….. crocuses? Yes…. and they’re right on time because they’re…… Here. :)

We’ve had some really pretty days in the 60′s but today was in the 40′s, damp and rainy. The crocuses were an unexpected surprise, though I feel less removed from them as this winter has been so far from our … well, I was going to say ‘normal’ but what is that anyway? Anyone in Vermont would say ‘inconsistent’ (and that’s our consistent) winter. I’m used to seeing white snow and ice for months at a time, for so long that when I’d see any part of the ground… it would stop me and I’d stop and connect… the air would be warm and fresh earth would be in the air. But this winter has been warm and we’re used to uncovered earth….. Whether they’re here to stay or buried in snow two weeks from now, they remain always lovely to see.
I treated myself to a new skein from my friend Vanessa. Find her lovelies at her Etsy shop.And feel free to visit/join her Ravelry group, but only if you’ve enough Geek in you ;)

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Hannah and Taylor are back from
New York City and treated me :) to a tote bag from Purl Soho (!)

along with two hanks of ‘Loft’ from Brooklyn Tweed. It’s wonderfully soft and in a classically beautiful shade of gray.

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The Yoga Anatomy workshop went well… lots of information in 10 hours and I loved it. Have yet to cast on the gloves…. the knitting I did do was on the red beaded shawl. I had that ‘wow, the end could be in sight’ project moment we all know. Funny isn’t it… for me anyway, how I can cast on a project and zoom for maybe ….. 1/4 of it? Maybe a third? And then the wind down…. and it lives with the other wip’s until one is recognized as ‘finishable’ and the desire to work on it returns. I love that moment! And they all get done at just the perfect time….. which is to say…… whenever they get done.

Stay well Good Women and knit on!

Warmly,
Martha.

Knitting is clothing made in spare moments, or round the fire, whenever women gathered together… It’s something to celebrate-clothes made in love and service, something women have always done.”
― Anne Bartlett