Life can really, really become a distraction sometimes! Suffice to say, given the lack of posts on this blog, that life in general has been busy. The Hadley Homestead has been slowly awakening as the four (yes four!) feet of snow has finally begun to melt away and we have daylilies tentatively poking out along the edge of the house where roof melt has provided a bare patch of ground. This is not just a cheerful sight, but a miraculous one, because we have not seen a winter this long and snowy in years. We were all beginning to think we'd stumbled into a new ice age up here.
I've been keeping busy sewing custom bag orders and the busy bridal season has started. It hasn't left much time for new product development, but I'm not complaining! Assembly line bag-sewing doesn't quite fulfill my need for creativity however, so I've re-taken up knitting and have actually gone farther with it than ever before. I'm actually knitting an adult sized sweater! I'm remembering how much I love the textures and colors of yarn and the process of using simple stitches to create a unique and beautiful fabric. Since I've never knitted sweaters before, I'm planning to use up my stash of cheap acrylic yarns first so that by the time I get into my wool and cotton, I will feel confident in what I'm doing.
I've always loved working with natural fibers and materials, so I was not surprised when my muse recently whispered plant dyeing and spinning in my ear. As the snow melts away, I'm thinking about the plants and berries that will soon come to life again and provide me with an abundance of colors to work with.
I was finally able to get into Ravelry, an incredible knitting community, which I hope will help me to connect to others who will inspire me as I continue along this new crafty adventure. I found a beginner spinners group, newish knitters group, and a Vermont knitters group! If you haven't checked it out, and have even the slightest interest in yarn and knitting or crochet, you will definitely want to.
