Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Catching Up

Happy 2020! (A bit late, I know, but better late than never.)

First off, I have an exciting announcement: I'll be teaching a class on Live Loop Cables at the Interweave Yarn Fest in Loveland, Colorado this May!

Yarn Fest takes place from April 29 - May 3, and offers an amazing array of fiber-related classes, along with an inspiring Marketplace packed with yarn, fibers, tools, gifts, and all kinds of tempting goodies.

If you'd like to go to Yarn Fest, Interweave is offering an early-bird discount of $20 off your first workshop if you register by January 31 with code IWYF20 at checkout. I hope to see you there!

Click here for my class listing!

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Now for some catch-up photos photos from December and January.

Early December was chilly and rainy, but I did get out for a walk or two when the weather cleared. On a walk to the park, I saw these late autumn leaves stuck to the ice (and under the ice) at the edge of a pond:


A view of the lake with its skimming of ice:


And sunset behind the trees:


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Christmas was quiet, and touched with a tiny bit of sadness: the tree farm I've been going to for the last twenty-odd years shut down, so there was no tramp through the woods to look for a tree (and no blog post to go with it). A very small grief, to be sure, but I will miss that special bit of Christmas joy.

Though I missed that December walk in the woods, I did get to take a December ride for the first time ever in Wisconsin! The Sunday before Christmas we had temps in the low 50s, so Tallulah and I got out to enjoy the unseasonable warmth, and add a last few miles to our annual total.

The roads were dry in the sun...


...and snowy in the shade. Brrr!


I fell in love with this cheery mailbox holder:


We stopped for a photo of ice on the stream (and cyclist on the bridge):


While I took photos, Iris soaked up the sun...


...and Tallulah stayed tucked in her basket, wishing she had worn a scarf:


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Christmas Day was spent at my dad's with family, and after dinner we took a walk to admire the sunset:


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In other December news, Gnolan the Gnome kindly consented to let me film his construction for an official Gnomes of the Gnorth video tutorial:


If you'd like to make a gnome of your own, you can find the free pattern here, or watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqBwlVap-MQ

Gnolan and friends

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Between work at the bead store, work at home, and keeping an eye on the Aged P, January has simply flown by.

I'm sure the sun must have shone sometime this month, but for the last several days we've been living in greyscale. Here's what my Sunday walk looked like:


Leaden sky, dark branches, white snow, and the occasional colorless flower head. Here we have Queen Anne's lace:


The dried grasses at the prairie restoration project were the only spot of color:


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I'm deep into book layout these days - it's very absorbing, and also very time-consuming, but it's exciting to see the work of the last few years come together and start to look like a book. A few more months should do it, I hope.

How is the New Year going for you?

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17 comments:

  1. So good to hear from you! I love the cycling photos through the WINTER!!! Im hoping your sister is ok. Next year Im going to leave some wildflowers up for the whole winter...

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    1. Thanks kathy! It was fun to take a December ride. Now I've ridden every month in the calendar here. (In California it wasn't such a big deal, but here it's a real treat to ride in the winter!)

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  2. I surely did enjoy this post! Your Gnomes are so cute! The photoshoot of them in the snow was beyond adorable. We're in a rainy period and there are mudslides in the gorge. Spring cannot come fast enough. Take care. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. Thanks, Teresa! Stay safe and watch out for those mudslides. Here's to an early spring! :)

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  3. Official instructor at the Yarn Fest! Fantastic! Lovely photos of where you live and where you go for your bike rides! I really like the first shot of the floating autumn leaves and the beautiful tree silhouettes!
    My goodness, those crocheted Gnomes are wonderful! I must have a go! Sadly no snow here to sit them in though! Thanks so much for the helpful video and the pattern in another blog entry! We're soon going to be in February and crocheting hearts is definitely on the agenda!

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    1. Thank you, Sandra! I noticed some green leaves in your photos, and deduced that your winter must be a mild one (this year at least). Happy heart crocheting!

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  4. Lovely to read you! :-) Unfortunaltely, I cannot come to Colorado for the yarn festival. This would have been real fun. But I am still teaching for a few years. Anyway, I wish you the best of all time there.

    The photos are great. Real winter it seems. We have had the first snow these days ... The rest will come in March I'm sure.

    All the best to you! Regula

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    1. Thanks, Regula!
      It's been an odd winter. We had a lot of very early snow last autumn, then just a small dusting around Christmastime. Now we have a few inches on the ground, but I would like more. :)

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  5. Such exciting news, Sue! I am so glad you have the opportunity to teach the class, and I am also so glad you are making progress on finishing your book! While you missed your annual trek to the tree farm it is amazing you were able to enjoy a December bike ride! Thanks for sharing your latest pattern and video. I am off to explore them❤️🧶

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  6. Thank you, Gracie, and you're very welcome! I was very sad when I found that the little tree farm had closed. I loved going there every year. But we ended up with a free tree from an unexpected source, so it all worked out well. (And the tree is still up, and still beautiful!) :)

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  7. Whoa, heard your exciting news from your favourite nephew yesterday. Congratulations; I couldn't be more proud of what you've achieved in the art of crochet! Love you.

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  8. That is exiting news about teaching that class! You are so talented, those lucky people!
    Sorry about that little tree farm closing, that is how I felt when the strawberry field shut down, we did like picking our own strawberries and we had done so for years!
    Stay warm on those bike rides!! And take care! xx

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  9. I have wanted to go to the Yarn Fest (and yet not spend money...) for at least three years now. I'm so excited I might finally get to go, but most of all, I'm so excited we might get to see you again! Lovely photos, and how neat that you are able to get out! Hope we can be doing it again soon, too!

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  10. Utterly lovely to hear from you! No time to comment properly though. xx

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  11. Looks like you are up to all kinds of good stuff. Loveland, to teach. Yay! I wish I could attend. Biking and nature and those gnomes. So good!

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  12. Oh my goodness! So, so cold!!! No cycling around on ice for me, haha! You know down south we cancel everything and hoard water and soup if we think we might even see an ice patch for more than one hour! Congratulations on your instructorship!

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  13. How are you doing Sue? Im praying for you and your sister,........
    Much Love kathy b

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