the gutter life

Posted on Posted in book reviews/events, designing, lace/shawls, projects

ok, no, i’m not spying on the guy working out on the sidewalk.
i might be spying on all the guys out there, though

what a mess—can you believe i’m paying someone to make my yard look like this??

(although, for sure, it’s not as big a mess as the roofers made)

it really says something when you and your beloved save doggedly for the giddy day when you become the owners of all new gutters.
i think it’s a signal, not that you own a house, but that the house owns YOU.

(be that as it may, we are still giddy over the gutters. do you realize what this means for the health of our basement??)

one thing though—it’s really windy outside (see the flag?). now, in my mind, high winds and ladders don’t mix. the men seem unconcerned

(i don’t know why he’s raking when it’s so windy, but i’d bet money that it’s a cover for being able to watch the gutter guys work. not to supervise—david’s not like that—but just to see how it’s done. and, guys working beget guys working . . . . or watching . . . i find.).

so anyway, i’m opting for escapism; i have no interest in watching a guy blow off a ladder, or watching a ladder get tossed through my office window.

and what better way to escape than to sink oneself into a pile of yarn?
as it happens i actually have a pile of yarn. fresh, too—yesterday the mail goddess descended with two boxes and an envelope. even she was a little dizzy from the fumes. but i was too busy with classes and running around to open them til this morning.

the first box was from kim at the woolen rabbit, filled with her laceweight yarns, which i hadn’t tried yet.

but i remembered it when i was swatching last week. i asked her what she had laying around in laceweight; i was looking for something surprising to use for the large leaf lace pattern we all like so much.
oh, she just happened to have a brand new colorway she was experimenting with.

mmmm. it’s got plum, it’s got brown, it’s got a little green, a little gold. we love it—this will be something. if it doesn’t work with that large leaf pattern, it will become something. mark my words.
she also tucked some roseamary thyme, a new deep green (yet to be named), and the moroccan spice colorways into the box.

as if that wasn’t enough of a yarn hit, i also got a box from catherine at knitting notions.

i first met catherine a our local fiber festival early last summer, and fell in love with her super-soft merino and organic cotton yarns on the spot.

we started talking about working together a while ago, and now that she’s getting ready to start her summer show circuit (look for her booth at a fiber festival near you), she’s got some new colors and has restocked all the favorites.

i picked a couple of sock yarns, a lace yarn (in pear, mmm, yum), and some worsted for various upcoming projects.
but it wasn’t easy; catherine has an awful lot of really, really nice colors, both semi-solid and handpainted. well worth a visit to her site or to her booth.

let’s not forget about the envelope that came—great things come in small packages, too.
these samples are from jill at riverwinds farm, purveyor of cormo and icelandic gorgeousness.

now, i have an admitted weakness for cormo, which i try to hide by splitting purchases of fleeces with friends. it doesn’t work—i have accumulated at least two or three large boxes of the very stuff in my fiber closet. really, all one has to do is whisper C-O-R-M-O in my ear, and i’m like, taking out my wallet as my head swivels helplessly and my mouth says, “oh yeah—where??”.

(and so no one should feel left out, cormo is the super-soft wool of a sheep breed whose lineage descends from a corriedale/merino/lincoln mix, and features many of the strengths of those breeds.)

so it’s no surprise that i have nearly worn through these samples with rubbing in the less-than 24 hours i’ve had them. the ones on the left are an utterly to-die-for blend of 70/30 alpaca/cormo that is pure genius. much as i love alpaca, i do find it a bit prickly, and sometimes i wish it had just a bit of bounce. well the cormo adds all that and more; it’s rich and buttery with a nice twist. not lax the way pure alpaca can be.

the yarns on the right are pure cormo in fingering, sport, and a tighter-twist 2-ply (light DK weight). jill is also going to have a sock yarn and a 3-ply yarn in soon as well.

so if you love pure-breed yarns and artisan fibers, check out jill, also at a fiber festival near you.

ahh, that really helped. i feel less anxious now and i think it’s time i went off to knit on this

love it. i kept meaning to restart that sock, but then i’d decide to knit one more row and forget.
i love it so much that i started another one too.

you know how addictive these little carves are.
but still, i do want to get back to work on a sock tonight. i’m waffling though . . that mediterranean blue-green yarn of catherine’s keeps waving its yarn ends at me.

38 thoughts on “the gutter life

  1. Ah, yes, wind. We’re going to get that tomorrow. I love all of the yarn you get thrown at you: “Here! Knit me! Knit me!” Lucky girl. I just can’t wait for the new scarf pattern!

  2. With your patterns and Kim’s fibers I feel like I’ve died and gone to yarn heaven–love, love, love!!!

  3. Abaout the house? Been there, done that AND my marriage survived it.

    About that purple yarn? That really does have my name on it.

  4. I want it all!! 🙂 The purple is fantabulous! Can’t wait to see what’s coming up from my favorite Knitspot!

  5. I think I am lucky I didn’t meet Mr. Cormo yet! I have enough troubles as it is,,, like,,, that Rosemary and Thyme lace of Kim, it’s been calling my name for a long time now, did you have to put it smack right there in the middle of your photo to glare at me? Have some mercy woman!

  6. Hmm, I think you’re going to get a few of us to go over to The Woolen Rabbit for a bit of those colors 🙂 I think I can take a similar photo of the hubby whacking the backyard weeds when it’s windy – what is it? Meditative? In the male gene? Kind of puzzling…:) Well, have alot!! of fun with that gorgeous yarn.

  7. Ooooh pretties. I love the Woolen rabbit laceweights. Especially the Rosemary Thyme. They are all pretty though. 🙂

  8. I think David is just longing for Spring and raking almost makes it feel real…LOL.

    I need to go check out that Cormo!

  9. It took about a year between the old gutters coming off, painting, and waiting an eon for the roofers to get here first, but yes, I know exactly how giddy one can be over gutters! And a dry basement!

    Mmmm, cormo and alpaca together, sounds really dreamy!

  10. congratulations on the new gutters! and yes,m definitely windy today – i had to go to brewster this afternoon and it felt like i was weaving all over the place just because of the wind.

    your yarns are tempting as usual!

  11. sigh. such lovely distractions you have.
    Me? I’d look for just about any excuse to avoid being out there watching the guys be buffeted about in the wind.
    Congrats on your new gutters – there’s something wonderful about getting these major tasks done.

    And yes, I can totally identify with the addiction of those sweet little nothings – I just started a “Gust” myself. It’s hard to put down (my head keeps saying just one more repeat.. it’s so little, just one more 🙂

  12. My hubby is the same way except he actually tags along asking questions and chatting with the guys working. 🙂 Congrats on the new gutters, they make a world of difference.

    Ah, all the fibery goodness is drool worthy.

  13. ohhhhhhhhhh I love that pretty blue sock wool from knitting notions, wonder if she ships internationally….. hmm I should check that out! uh oh I feel all of my paycheck evaporating QUICK FREEZE MY CREDIT CARD IN DARK ICE!

  14. Ah, house work… I’m about to buy a new house, and as happy as I am about it for many reasons (studio space!), I am not looking forward to the increased amount of maintenance work that will inevitably come with it – but who knows, maybe I’ll enjoy it… At least, you had lovely distractions to escape to!

  15. I was just weaving some handspun cormo and remembering how yummy it is. I should do wash up some more of the two cormo fleeces I have.
    Have you ever heard of Alice at Foxhill Farms? She’s great, and her fiber is amazing. All coated and sparkling clean…
    Foxhill Farm
    Alice Field – PO Box 6, 380 Maple St., Lee, MA 01238
    Phone:(413)243-2558

  16. Kim’s Moroccan Spice in the laceweight is nothing short of scrumptious. And I agree on the cormo. I got a couple fleeces from Thirteen Mile Farm in Montana when I was a new spinner and it’s luscious. Ooo, I feel like I need to go dive into a pile of wool. Thanks for the inspiration.

  17. oh such a beautiful crop of nice yarns! And the scarves are going to be lovely, I’m sure. Good luck with the housework, you’ll need it!

  18. When we have work done, my David always has to be out there with the workmen… LOL Gorgeous new yarns! Drool.

  19. Anne- Another difference between American and Canadian- we call them “eavestroughs”-

    Kim- what a woman! Her laceweight is my favorite!

  20. You need an Ann proof cupboard (or large garage I expect!), that only David holds a key for, so you can lock away all yarny temptation until projects are finished.

    Putting my yarn away has done wonders for my concentration on just 1 or 2 projects at a time.

    Although seeing all your new yarns isn’t helping me keep on track…

  21. I LOVE those pictures of David putzing around in the yard, hangin’ with the Dudes, raking, keepin’ an eye on what’s shakin out there…. What a hoot! Oh – and that plum stuff from Kim is an amazing color…. that is a MAJOR temptation… 27 more days!!

  22. the difference between men and women who want to watch the guys hanging gutters (fix roofs, put in new counter tops) is the women will simply stand and watch. 🙂

    i only have one word for all that yarn: droooool!

  23. I saw a sider’s brake in that first picture. I’m betting your also getting some fascia or sofit along with your gutters.

    I’m also saving for home repairs, so I must resist the temptation of all your gorgeous yarns. Gotta keep the existing stash safe and dry.

  24. I’m in love with your new yarns !
    Those men are all the same, mine just couldn’t control himself anymore today, he just HAD to mow the grass for the first time this year 😉

  25. I’m getting drool all over my keyboard. More from the yarn than the gutters but not a whole lot. Ours are not in very good shape. But then neither is the roof. I should start saving up for dealing with that I bet.

    I love the little scarf and I adore those yarns. drool drool drool…

  26. Beautiful beautiful yarns! I know you will create something luscious with them. Yes, boys do need to supervise even if they have to pretend they are doing something else.

  27. Ah, gutters—that’s another of the little jobs that needs to be done around here, too. (Shudder.) Meanwhile I’ll just drool over the yarns and admire the beautiful lace in progress!

  28. I really like your last swatch in the spicy red colour … very pretty. I seem to be drawn to more earthy colours lately, as I also love the copper coloured sock yarn. Fun for you, getting to play with all that wonderful yarn!

  29. That Kim – she is soooo subtle in her evilness, but it’s there…lurking. Sending you boxes of yarn and then you posting pictures of the gorgeous stuff. Enough.

Comments are closed.