Marie and Charleen's Excellent Adventure

I had to bow out of a loom shopping trip the weekend before last so I was really didn't want to have any problems with this trip. The picture in the last post, in case you couldn't figure it out, was my laptop connecting to the internet through my Bluetooth phone. I took me hours to get the settings right but I knew I would be able to check into my course and keep up with postings and emails.

Friday afternoon I headed up to Marie's Funny Farm for the first leg of my journey. Marie had one hell of a week. She started out Monday with plans of painting a warp. Between drop in visitors and playing midwife for the birth of two sets of triplets and two sets of twins, along with a power outage, she finally had the warps painted by Thursday. I always learn something new at the Funny Farm and this time I found out that mothers can reject their young. What?? I'm so not made for life on a farm.



This poor little girl, and I'm sorry to say I can't remember her whole name but it has Fawn in it, is all of 24 hours old. Marie diapered her up and brought her into the house. The bright gold is not from the dye pot you see in the background in the picture below, but from iodine that was painted on the umbilical cord. (I probably have this all wrong, but you can correct me, Marie.)

The problem with diapers and goats is that when they get a little damp, she walks right out of them!



Saturday morning we wake up to Marie's husband's dire warnings of 6-12" of snow expected in New England. "No problem", I say, "I have a Subaru." Three and a half hours later we arrive at Mecca, um, I mean WEBS. (I think Bob was just teasing us - but there was a little snow.)



The next leg of the journey found us on our way to Claudia's Countrywool. I learned something new. When stopped for speeding in a small country town, you're not supposed to just open the door so you can retrieve your license from the back seat. Hmmm. I guess I should start watching COPS! I don't know who was more surpised - me, or the not-old-enough-to-shave policeman! I'm not sure if it was the surprise of finding two women packed into an Outback chock full of cones of yarn or what, but I was left with only a warning AND a reminder "for your safety and mine, ma'am, always ask before opening the door of your vehicle"!

Okay, that little snafu out of the way, we headed to Hudson and had a little slumber party in a yarn shop, snacking on peanut M&M's and some lovely Jacob's Creek Cabernet Merlot while checking blogs and podcasts.



After a wonderful breakfast by Claudia's live-in chef, otherwise known as the husband, Marie and I headed back to the Poconos. I dropped Marie off and got home about 48 hours (and 700 miles) after leaving. A few things followed me home from Countrywool:



Some really cool, heathery purple Cascade 220 for Claudia's Whitby Gansey.



Some wine Peace Fleece for her Northcott Rib cardigan.



That's a little oiling pen for the spinning wheel with a secure lid to keep from leaking. On the right are two skeins of Fixation cotton, with a little lycra, for a pair of socks. I saw a great little raglan made out of three skeins of Fixation that is going to be my new baby present. Quick to make, no buttons or buttonholes to bother with, and the lycra makes the neck stretch to fit easily over baby's head.

Tired? You betcha! But I'm ready to go again.