Hand Knitting Blog & Knitting Patterns
Greetings and Salutations, welcome to the modest beginnings of MaryJaneMucklestone.com!!!
From these first baby steps I hope to make great strides towards World Domination.
Just kidding!
I hope you like the tiny shop,
Here’s to new beginnings,
Cheers!
OK…links are not working properly…Free Stuff goes nowhere, Kits goes to Patterns, Patterns goes to kits.
It may take me a bit to get things sorted out.
Please have patience with me!
That’s Saturday. After the Maine Boats Homes and Harbor‘s show, in Rockland at The Strand.
Lobster Queens and locals…even my plumber friend who supplies me with hoola hoop parts
I’ve got twins to show my outfits
With pointed hats natch
Doublemint!
Double fun!
After spacing out twice….I met Astrig for breakfast today at Chase’s Daily in nearby Belfast. I tell you, there is nothing like hanging out with Astrig to make you believe anything and everything is possible. She is the absolute most positive person, and not in an exhausting gushy way… in a “oh, but of course, I guess I knew it all along” serene way.
I brought Show & Tell:
My lucky advance copy of Veronik Avery’s St. Denis Magazine.
Recognize my yarny picture on the right? with my byline? I’m sorry…I never get too old or too jaded to get a little thrill from that tiny print!
The magazine is beautiful, a nice little perfect sized dream of a magazine, including designs by
And Moi!…. I showed you yesterday…. Super Soul Cardigan.
There’s wee articles, a photo-inspiration scrapbook and helpful illustrated techniques in the notebook section.
Keep an eye out for it…I having a feeling it will sell out fast!
Now I have to tell you a little bit about amazing, beautiful Astrig’s pet project. She puts on a fabulous event called Fiber College the weekend after Labor Day, at her family’s campground in Searsport Maine, on the shores of one of the prettiest beaches in the state. She has a diverse group of fiber-fanatics as teachers and vendors, covering weaving and spinning, quilting and knitting…you name it, if there is fiber involved she wants to include you!
It is one of those little secret events, you’d love to keep to yourself but enjoy so much you just can’t help spreading the word. Right now on the Fiber College blog Astrig is asking this year’s instructors 10 questions to help us get to know everyone. Read them all but don’t miss Gudrun’s…I am so looking forward to meeting her…it is going to be a blast!
Since I’m teaching this year I better go fill out my questionnaire now! Yikes!
Stay tuned and I’ll tell you about my class.
Presenting….Super Soul Cardigan….. in Veronik Avery’s new yarn St. Denis Nordique. The textured stitch gives a nice “sqooshy” depth, for a warm and comfy wrap sweater with hidden pockets. A hybrid of Mexican styling and Turkish motifs. Inspired by….Starsky and Hutch. Using beautiful Turquoise… for protection. You can knit your own tie-belt if you like.
I’m lucky to have this garment included in Veronik’s first St. Denis Magazine collection for her scrumptious crisp new yarn, great for texture, fabulous colors, coming soon to a Local Yarn Store near you. I think the magazine will be available in shops and from the St. Denis website which is still under construction.
I’m so glad it is still under construction, makes me feel better.
It’s about time revealed what I’ve been up to. I’m working on a new website. It is a little slow going for me, since there is soooooo much to learn. I’ve had a lot of help from some wonderful people, some simply amazing friends that I have. I am so thankful. The plan was to be up and running by next week and if all goes well it will be, or shortly thereafter. Knock on Wood.
So if I’ve been kind of silent on the knitterly aspects of things…well I’ve been learning about shopping carts and CSS code and things I’d really rather not have to know…you know how it is…when we built our house, my husband and I even put in the septic system ourselves….a challenging one….so yes, I do know how to build a septic system, for which I am proud, but I truly hope I never do it again…
Here’s hoping this time next year, I’m a whiz what seems a mystery to me today.
Super Soul Cardigan’s Bonus Hidden Pockets Pictures courtesy of Veronik Avery
At long last, and island adventure! One friend brought his daughters who are visiting from France, and the other brought her desire for chocolates.
We headed east to escape the rain which continued to fall upon the coast, waaaay out to beautiful Isle au Haut. First we visited Head Harbor, pictured above, where we walked to beautiful Long Pond for a little trout fishing…no bites, but plenty of foraging for chanterelles and wild strawberries on the roadside. Handy having French teenagers along, with their aptitude for mushroom hunting.
No sign of chocolates this end of the island so we went around, passing lighthouse and seals, to the town landing in search of the famed Black Dinah Chocolatier chocolate shop. Walking along the way, many people warned us that the elusive shop was closed and indeed as we approached the sign did say “shut”. Give up? Not us. and we were rewarded. Steve cheerfully opened his shop for us, and the chocolates did not disappoint! My choice was a Sea Turtle, caramel and brazil nuts covered in dark chocolate, topped with a pinch of sea salt….mmmm
Salt + Chocolate
Yum
