Decisions are made and I am crawling back into my body after many sleepless weeks.
The Little Guy and I will go north presently (well, in three weeks). Once again, we will be crashing at a friend’s place (where C has been for the last five months), but at least we will all be together and it will be ever-so-much easier to make plans from there. Plenty of room to run about on the farm, ducks to chase, goats to noozle.
There are benefits to adding the extra baby-step…we can take our time designing and building the platform, the plumbing, the flooring…all that foundation work that would have been rushed had we just tried to throw the dome up immediately. So. It’s good. We will have a much more snug and beautiful space when it does materialize. And we’ll be together sooner. Did I mention that part?
In other news, everything has been shipped off for Stitches East. A good bit of my regulars, mostly 2-ply and Monkey Mitt Knit Kits, but I did play with a little traditional 3-ply and absolutely loved the results:
Toucan came from some falklands top that I handpainted with Greener Shades non-toxic acid dyes. Because I love a good before-and-after shot (or in this case an after-and-before):
This week we will seek out the perfect pumpkins…I have been very torn about the Halloween holiday and the Little Guy…back in Vermont we participated in a Jack O’ Lantern Journey the last couple of years…Halloween was a gentle sort of experience, rather like the lantern walk for Martinmas, but with pumpkins lighting our way and songs around a bonfire in our costumes. This year we are in a suburban setting, my in-laws decorations are of the darker variety (coffins and bloody daggers) and I am doing my best to breathe it in and out and trying to describe the imagery lightly to O and encouraging him in dress-up themes that are characters worthy of imitation at the age of four. Anyway, my search for a similar sort of celebration around here so far has been fruitless. The local waldorf school usually has an alternative Halloween celebration but for some reason it isn’t happening this year. I know we will make it up north in time to participate in the Lantern Walk with a school in Arcata, and I’m grateful for that, but if there’s anyone around the Bay Area who wants to make a Jack O’ Lantern journey happen, do let me know!
And, although the yarns have all been sent to Stitches, I have lots of lovely felt pieces in the shop right now:
Have at!
I have not, btw, forgotten about Spinspiration #1. I got a little carried away after I carded the fiber and started needle-felting some strawberries and leaves to add in…I hadn’t meant to go that far with it and then Stitches prep swallowed me whole. Now that I’m spat out, spinning will commence! I plan to be much more regular with the Spinspirations from here, although I should probably just keep my mouth shut.
Thespunmonkey's Blog 
hi! i’m so glad that i’ve discovered your blog… and i do in fact, know of several harvest festivals that are heavy on nature, light on gore. unfortunately, they’ve already happened, but next year, i’m your girl 🙂 Where are you, exactly? it looks as though we’re neighbors!
well hello, and thank you! i am glad to have discovered your blog, as well! i’m in walnut creek right now and for the next few weeks…will soon be headed up north to trinity county, but will probably be back and forth fairly often as most of our family is down here in the east bay. i grew up here but spent the last four years in vermont. urban life is hard on me, so it’s back to the woods ASAP!
hey love, I’m not ignoring this wonder filled post, just thinking of responding with pen and ink. I might not send that last depressing card to you or put them together. You have to have to have to send me your new address so that we can continue the letter writing package sending thing we have going.
oh hey, check this out. are you getting this reply, stasa?