Episode 168 Back from Boston and Cape Cod

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this site for current and past episodes. Flash Player is not compatible with Internet Explorer.  Try a different browser like Safari.  Or jaunt on over to iTunes to find the show there.

This episode is sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business, Quince & Co

Quince & Co wool yarns are sourced and spun in the US. All our wool and wool-blend yarns are spun in New England mills with venerable histories. By sourcing our wool in the US and manufacturing our yarn locally, we minimize our carbon footprint. Find Quince wool and the other Quince fibers at www.quinceandco.com.

Gorgeous new colors of Sparrow, organic linen

You can find my Longaberger Home Business at www.longaberger.com/paula.  Please send me a personal message or visit my web site to sign up for my customer email list.

You can also find me here:

Ravelry: PrairiePiper Feel free to include me in your friends.

Instagram: knittingpipeline

Twitter: knittingline

Pinterest: Paula Emons-Fuessle

Ravelry Group

Knitting Pipeline Retreats Group.

Pipeliner Notes

I did not intend to take a break since the show on April 3 but when I came back from my trip to Boston and Cape Cod we had some tax business to settle up that took WAY more time than expected and then my email was hacked not once but twice. What a hassle!

I read a Pipeliner note from Sandy:

Hi Paula, We have a cardinal that visits us each spring. He (I think a he) runs into our upstairs window, flies away and comes back several times. We always know spring is around the corner when he starts. A few question that maybe you might answer - Could this be the same bird each year? Wonder what the life expectancy is of a cardinal especially when he is hitting our window so hard. We can hear it in other rooms of the house. Some told us to put a X with tape on the window but that does not deter him. Any suggestions?
Thanks and I enjoy you podcast. I always learn so much.
Sandy  (Pebbles3)

Sandy, the cardinal is exhibiting mating or territorial behavior and it is very hard to stop. Birds are creatures of habit so you have to break the habit.  A Pipeliner recommended decals that you put on your windows to reflect ultraviolet light.  These have worked well for us and I hope they help you too.

Duncraft

Here is a tip from Bobbi from Creative Design Studio

I heard you say that you used crochet cotton as a knitting lifeline.

I’m sending you some Rayon Chainette, purchased as a cone yarn style which I use for knitted beaded bracelets and necklaces. The slipperiness of it makes fabulous lifelines; last night I swiftly pulled out the thread/yarn from a 136 st 1 x 1 hat ribbing by pulling at the needle bend of the Magic Loop.  It is a very springy wool and would really have grabbed tightly to any other type of textile used.  There is light and a dark for different shades of contrast. 

Thank you so much, Bobbie, for sending me this lovely Rayon Chainette and for your kind words about the show. 

 I found a source here that looks reasonable. It is the yarn or thread that is used to make fringe and tassels.

I’m definitely going to use this for lifelines and I’m also thinking it would be great for provisional cast on.  I have to admit that provisional cast on is not my favorite thing, not so much doing it but pulling it out.  I need something slick like this rayon to make that job easier.

Events:

Craftsy KAL

Starting in May we will have an informal Craftsy KAL for those who want to set a goal to take the classes they have purchased. Stay tuned!  Thank you Craftsy for allowing me to be an Affiliate!  To visit Craftsy click on the link in the sidebar.

Nature Notes

Trip to Maine and Cape Cod:  I saw the Snowy Owl!

Jan-Marie had arranged a day of knitting on Plum Island…thank you Jan-Marie. I was thrilled to spend time with some of the ladies from the Maine Retreat in November and also new friends from the area who are members of Jan, Martha, and Mary’s knitting group.  Lucky them. We had some show and tell, packed lunches or take out lunches, and had a lovely day.  I was seated where I could see out the window and I enjoyed watching the tide come in and the water birds.

Plum Island is a wild life refuge and haven for birders.  There is a lot of salt marsh there. I knew nothing about salt marsh and still know very little but I told my friends that many years ago a found a book on mulch gardening written by a woman from New England.  She wrote “Go out and gather up as much salt marsh hay as you can.”  I thought, “What??

Martha, Goldybear, is a birder in Massachusetts and she was the leader of our expedition on Plum Island to search for the Snowy Owl.  As many of you know I have been searching for the Snowy Owl for several years ever since they have come further south in what is known as irruption. These are arctic birds. We were in 2 cars: Martha, Missy, me, Jaxie985, Aprilquilts, and Mary/Woolybear368.  It was an overcast day which is actually a good thing for birding. Our little caravan was fitted with binoculars and although we spotted a lot of gulls we weren’t seeing the snowies. Martha was determined that we would find the snowy owl and I’m pretty sure we weren’t leaving that island until we did.  We met our Sherpa, Tom, when Martha rolled down her window to ask him if he had seen any snowies that day.  He said, “I’ve seen 5.  I’ll take you there.” Not only that he had a scope which is the best way to see birds because you have a steady device.  He pointed out the bird and although we could all see it with the naked eye as a white blob it was definitely more exciting when he set up his scope and we could see it more clearly.  While we were watching our Snowy flew up from the ground and took a duck that was on the water nearby.  We then watched him with the duck…yes, he was eating it.  Tom then led us to another site where the owl was even closer to us.  We thanked him for showing us the owl and he said something to the effect, “Helping others see a bird is a lot more fun than seeing it myself”.  We also asked his permission to plaster him all over the internet and he was cool with that.

Our little band of birders and sherpa Tom.  Photo by Martha/Goldybear

Tom and Salt Marsh (I think)

I only had my iphone with me so my photos only show a white dot but I gamely tried and now have that as my screen photo on my phone.

Thank you, Martha, and all my birding buddies out east that I got to share this experience with.  I was so thrilled and will never forget the Day of the Snowy Owls.

One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.  Robert A. Heinlein

Needle Notes

Flower Buttons: Bohemian Findings

Elizabeth Zimmermann Baby Sweater on Two Needles (February) in Knitter’s Almanac

PrairiePipers Baby Sweater on Two Needles 

Beyond Puerperium and Barley

Button Detail

Beyond Puerperium by Kelly Brooker and Barley by Tin Can Knits for DomesticatingKat/Katbierma on Ravelry. 

Kat’s Etsy shop:  DomesticatingKat

Prairie Piper’s Puerperium and Barley Hat

Another Barley Hat to go with the Puerperium for my great niece to match big brother’s Puerperium.

I sent that package off to my nephew and his wife last week.  There were 4 sweaters in sizes from newborn to 18 mo and 2 hats.  I tend to go overboard as long as we don’t have that many babies in the family.

Cassis Shawlette by Collete Audrey

Prairie Piper’s Cassis Shawlette

Use Another Crafty Girl Strong Sock in Bret color way.

Scroll Lace Scarf by Ysolda Teague

The Blethering Room

 Correct: “for all intents and purposes”    Incorrect: “for all intensive purposes”.

Prairie Arts Fiber and Friends

Among the vendors are some of our own Pipeliners:

With Steve of Dramatic Knits/Leading Men Fiber Arts

With the lovely Jennifer of Daizie Knits

·        Heritage Hill Farm (Leicester Long Wool)

·        Yarn Geek Fibers

·        Daizie Knits

·        Leading Men Fiber Arts

I bought Cormo from Clear View Farm  www.clearviewfarm.com  Waterman IL  Sandra Schrader

My Cormo purchase.  Natural is sport weight.  Pink is fingering weight.

Product Notes

Merlin Bird ID from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Free app for your phone!

My bird was a Bufflehead!

Have a great week, Haste ye back, and hold your knitting close.