The last year hasn’t been one of marvellous health round here. I have been struggling with iron-deficiency anaemia, which has made me very tired and a bit prone to getting other infections. Luckily I think things are looking up now so time to dust off the blog and try to find my brain 🙂

In October we were fortunate enough to be able to spend nearly 3 weeks in the USA. We started off in Maine for Amy Herzog’s Make Wear Love retreat. The retreat was held at the Sebasco Harbor Resort, a lovely peaceful area with beautiful views. On the day after we arrived we went for a little walk up the hill behind the resort, here is the view back down, the building on the right with the solar panels is where we were staying.

I really enjoyed the classes and am slowly re-reading the class notes and the notes I made. I am part way through exploring some of the ideas from the cable class with Fiona Ellis, I’m on my second sample and think that there are some interesting ideas, but there may well be a third sample after this too.

After the retreat we spent a week further north in Maine looking at all the beautiful scenery.

Then went down to southern New York state and spent a lovely weekend with my sister and her family.

As you can see my niece is a girl after my own heart when it comes to fashion choices. If in doubt wear all the colours and all the patterns, all at once 🙂 (though she is more into pink than I am)

We then spent a week in New Jersey where Paul did some work, and I did a bit of shopping. Then up to Rhinebeck for the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival for the last weekend before flying home.

The festival was good fun! We had a good look round all of the yarn and fibre, and the animals too:

There was some beautiful fall foliage at the fairgrounds.

It even snowed on the Sunday which was very exciting! I totally failed to manage to capture any pictures of the snow falling, and there wasn’t very much, but it added to the atmosphere.

We sampled the freshly made pretzels (yum!) and I treated myself to some fibre in breeds I haven’t tried before. Some coopworth, some rambouillet, and some cormo. I have just started spinning the coopworth, it is destined to be sock yarn, and I am hoping it will work out well. The fibre is quite long and robust which I am hoping will be good attributes for a sock yarn.

All in all a very fun trip.

It is feeling quite wintery now we have got home. It hasn’t been that cold, but it has been dark and rainy. All good weather for catching up on the knitting 🙂