yarn giveaway

Last weekend I stopped at ReBelle, a yarn shop in Lexington, Kentucky. I picked up a few skeins of yarn for me and a skein for one of you! I wanted to thank you for reading and commenting. I've been getting to know new blog friends lately and it's so fun!

 Giveaway details:

One person will win a skein of Malabrigo Sock yarn in Archangel. The colorway looks like a sunset to me; it has deep purples, swirls of orange, and hints of yellow.

The giveaway is open to anyone! I'll ship wherever in the world you happen to be.

To enter: 

Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you'd make from this skein (I bought myself a skein and am ready to cast on a Multnomah shawl). Make sure that I have a way to contact you if you win.

For one extra entry each:

• Share this giveaway on Facebook. Leave a comment on this post letting me know.

• Post about this giveaway on your blog. Leave a comment on this post letting me know.

• Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment on this post letting me know.

You can enter this giveaway a total of four times!

The giveaway will close on Sunday, July 1, 2012, at 8 p.m. EST. I'll choose a winner at random.

Good luck and thanks for reading!

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good things lately

my list of good things:

Moonrise Kingdom finally opened in Louisville, so my weekend plans are set! 

I have almost finished knitting my Imogen tee. It's gorgeous and girly. I can't wait to wear it! The designer is offering a discount in her Ravelry shop through tomorrow (6/24) if you're interested. Her Sibella is the next sweater on my to-knit list.

This garden looks so dreamy.

Maiden Radio has been keeping me good company lately. I've been listening to their lullabies and old-fashioned songs.

I like these ideas.

Drinking coffee from a rustic mug and eating breakfast outside would make any day feel like a holiday.

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Have a great weekend!

What's on your list of good things this week?

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pots!

The hands you layed on clay

Kickwheeld, curling,

              creamd to the lip of nothing,

And coaxt to a white dancing heat that day

Will linger centuries in these towns and loams

And speak to men or beasts

When Japanese and English

Are dead tongues.

from "The Firing" by Gary Snyder

 

These are my pots, glazed and fired. I especially love the tea set. It's glazed pale, glassy green and has a reed handle that my teacher's husband made. 

The pottery class helped me brush up on my ceramics skills and rekindled my interest in working with clay. Luckily, I think I've found a way to make pottery on a more regular basis. My mind is reeling with possibilities; I'm eager to unite knitting and ceramics in some upcoming projects.

staghorn mitts (and winners)

I stayed up way too late last night finishing these Staghorn Mitts. I needed to finish them so I could give them to my pottery teacher today, and I secretly love an excuse to stay up half the night knitting, watching old movies, and drinking tea.

Summer in Kentucky (so hot and humid!) is not the ideal time for heavy wool projects, but since my pottery class ended I won't get to see my teacher anymore before the weather cools off. She'll have outdoor art shows in the fall, so I figure she'll get a lot of use out of fingerless mitts. 

I've been wanting to try this cable pattern for a while now, and since my pottery teacher likes textured pots I thought she might like textured mitts. She also encouraged me to embrace the imperfections in my pots, so I didn't feel too bad that these mitts didn't turn out identical (can you spot the difference?).

I'm pretty excited about my pots, too, and can't wait to show you all. They look so different glazed! 

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Thanks to everyone who entered the Job's Tears giveaway. 

I couldn't pick a winner, so everybody wins!

That's Amy, Kristen, Evelyn, Jennifer, Katie, Andi, and Jesse. 

Email me your information (fieldwonderful AT gmail DOT com), and I'll send you some natural beads to make your own necklace.

loving lately

Strawberry jam shortbread cookies from Apples for Jam

It feels like summer here. We've had hot days and warm nights. Last night we sat outside with friends, talked, and stargazed by candlelight. It felt like the perfect start to a summer of fun.

In the spirit of summer fun, here are things that have made me happy lately:

I fell into a local music hole the other day, and I never want to come out. I keep listening to Sweet Dark-Haired Man. Joan Shelley's voice sounds vintage and familiar (in a way that makes her songs feel like old favorites), and I love any song with a good whistle in it.

A post about endearing annoyances.

A strawberry cake in the woods. I need more picnics in my life.

As much as I love stargazing, I'm pretty much in the dark when it comes to constellations. The only one I can consistently identify is the Big Dipper! I'd love to wear this Big Dipper necklace (via blue moss).

And wouldn't this dress be fun for summer adventures?

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Speaking of summer adventures, I need to get busy and plan some summer getaways.

Have a great weekend!

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P.S. Thanks for all of your well-wishes for my dad. He got great results back from the doctor!

gardener's pearls (for you, too)

When the seed catalogs arrived back in January, I dreamed about growing Job's Tears for the sole purpose of making a necklace. Sometimes my craft projects can get out of hand. Job's Tears are tear-shaped pods that naturally have a hole running through the center, which makes them perfect for stringing as jewelry. I didn't end up ordering from the place that sold Job's Tears, so I figured I'd try again another year.

This weekend I went out looking for neighborhood yard sales (no luck) and instead poked around in a tiny shop nearby. I found a bag of Job's Tears for a dollar. What luck! After an hour of threading and knotting, I've got myself a necklace in much less time than it would have taken to grow and harvest the seeds myself. 

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I've decided to share the windfall and have a little giveaway. I'll send one of you enough Job's Tears to make a necklace of your own. Just leave a comment on this post and make sure I have a way to reach you. I'll pick a comment at random on Sunday evening, June 10th. 

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only because I don't want any customs issues from shipping plant materials. I'm sure you understand. :)

a place to gather

My father-in-law, David, built us this table.

It's solid oak, sturdy, and has simple lines.

It's the perfect table to laugh and celebrate around.

To hold hands and cry over.

To host holiday dinners.

To make ordinary dinners feel special.

To work on elaborate craft projects.

To play board games (we've already bought a poker-green length of felt just for this).

To keep in our family for generations.

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It's my dream table (just in time to fulfill those summer dreams).

Thank you, David!