Hydrangeas on the Cape

Cape Cod is an alternate universe.  Sun.  Sea.  Sail.  Sky.  Hydrangeas.  The camera chose to bleach the color, so you can find the Elizabeth bag more easily than I could today:
While the DH sailed, I knit.  A brief trip into the town of Falmouth yielded a dip into a store with yarns in the back.  Sage had a tourist inventory:  novelty yarns, scarf yarns, baby yarns. 

I was stunned by one basket of expensive yarn.  Hand-dyed, handspun wool, priced at $41.99 for a 200 yard skein, looking for all the world like the beginning spinner's first production.  The sign above the yarn?  "So-and-so began spinning in the summer of 2004, and has never looked back.  She now spends every available moment spinning."

Yeah.  I could do the same thing (thin-thick yarn, loosely plied, not well tied off at the ends), but I don't charge for it.  Maybe I'M the fool.

Elizabeth bag, obsessively knitted, is almost half done.  The weekend required thoughtless knitting and retail therapy:  bunnycrack (oh yes please do me more) and a wool roving sampler COMPLETELY influenced by that Juno's blog entry.   

I am starting a harmonic resonance in tune with Rhinebeck.  Some of the roving websites appear to be in the summer slumps, which means the next SERIOUS roving opportunites will be in October.  My wheel should arrive in about 3 - 3 1/2 weeks.  My nostepinde should arrive any day now.  The thumb is slowly but steadily healing.  And I can FEEL the hum of Rhinebeck approaching.

Comments

[Norma]

Those hydrangeas are STUNNING. I'm afraid I can't think of what an Elizabeth bag is. Is it felted? Yup, Rhinebeck, baby. It'll be here before we know it

[Cara]

Oh I miss Cape Cod. We were just talking about going back this year - it was one of the best vacations we've ever had. Thanks for the reminder!

[claudia]

You now know of what I speak: people pay Big Bucks for beginner yarn -- yarn that you dissed and lamented when first you made it. However, not so much for perfectly spun yarn that looks like...wait for it....STORE BOUGHT! Can't give that stuff away.

;-)

[Lee Ann]

I am trying not to think of Rhinebeck. Sob...sniff...

You absolutely know I'm buying a wheel at Vermont to make myself feel better about not going to Rhinebeck, don't you?

[Teresa C]

Falmouth is one of my favorite vacations spots, we used to go every summer. I'm jealous! If I make it down this summer I will have to check out that shop. Lucky you, having such great weather to knit and relax in!

[Deb]

$42 for a skein of beginner's yarn--that apparently hasn't improved in over a year's worth of spinning practice? Yikes! And, do you know, my Mom was hanging around Falmouth on Saturday afternoon, waiting for her ferry time to get over to Martha's Vineyard. Small, small world....

[Marcia]

Hmph, now I really feel bad about my one puny hydrangea! Those were incredible. As for that yarn, a local shop is now carrying "handspun" yarn from a Connecticut farm and they push it every time I go in. It's, well, awful. The colors are worse than Kool Aid and the stuff is overspun singles, for Pete's sake. I brought some of mine in last week...they shut up. Congrats on the nostepinde! And Rhinebeck...will there be a blogger meetup, I hope?

[margene]

You 'sound' better with a little rest and relaxation. The hydrangea's are breath taking in their glory...who needs moosi;-)

[Liz]

I think people like handmade things that actually *look* handmade. Once it is nice enough to rival the machines, the average person can't tell the difference and doesn't want to shell out the extra $$ for handmade.

My SIL paid big bucks for a table that has a "hand planed top" and you see all these awful tool marks. James only does handplaning, and would never leave such a coarse finish. Crazy.

[Cassie]

I don't recommend quitting your day job to become a full time spinner. ;-)

[Regina aka LadyLinoleum]

Hydrangeas are my absolute favorite! Thanks for sharing!

[Kristen]

maybe there's a market for that type of yarn on the cape? I can't imagine they'd let the basket of yarn sit there unless people were buying it, but I wonder who? I hope whoever does buy it is inspired to pick up a spindle and give it a whirl!

I hope the next three weeks fly by, and before you know it your wheel is here. Will you share some pictures of the fiber you've most recently acquired?

[sandy]

Sounds like a wonderous Cape trip! Blue hydrangeas are the showiest of all flowers in my opinion!