More specifically, sailing knitting lessons. Lesson number one. Save colorwork for calm moments. Multiple balls of yarn become a tangled mess when thrown into the cabin when all hell breaks loose.
Lesson number two. Time flies and you’ll never accomplish all you plan.
Lesson number three. Enjoy these moments.
We are spending a few days sailing and have already experienced extreme highs and lows ~ moods and pressure.
First day was beautiful. I started knitting a skirt for me, we swam and saw a lovely sunset. This was a nice finish after we were squeezed out of a harbor where huge boats kept coming in and rafting up. Just as well because we found a spot with plenty of room to ourselves.
Today was another story. Big storm predicted. To our credit we got under way early, but not early enough. I managed to rip a stanchion right out of the deck while furling the jib in strong wind. (Swimming does build upper body strength). Tim spilled tea on my new skirt when things happened quickly. Then the mooring field was full and we had to drop anchor while the storm plowed through. But we were visited by a flock of ducks when they got the all clear sign.
Wonder what tomorrow will bring?
Perfect place to swim after dinner. I did.
Can you guess this mountain’s name?
This may be it. These photos don’t really do it justice. Elk Lake Is a pristine lake surrounded by, dare I say, majestic mountains. We arrived in the afternoon and paddled a canoe for a bit. Then we retired to cocktails on the porch, dinner and a swim. Nice day.
Someone told Tim this is the most glorious summer she has ever experienced. I agree.
Warm days, cool nights, wildflowers, wildlife.
What fun!
Summer is all too short. After a long, cold, dark arduous winter, the carefree days of summer fly by way too fast. There’s so much to do, besides quilting, knitting, weaving and spinning. My dye garden is beginning to bloom. Now I have to be willing to cut off the flowers instead of enjoying them in the garden. We’ll see how that goes. I’m even conflicted about weeding. Some weeds are just too pretty to pull.
Tim had to bribe me to go sailing the other day. I’m not sure why it was so hard to leave home but I was engrossed in a couple of projects. I went and it was glorious. The breeze was steady and consistent, as usual there were hardly any boats on the lake and we swam when the boat was tucked away. And I collected my bribe: dinner on the water.
Yesterday, I went paddling on newly acquired state lakes with some old and new friends. It was a beautiful day. I counted ten loons, three swims, three beaver lodges and one dam holding back at least four lakes.
There was a neat culvert, which ran under a road, between two lakes. I, of course, had to do my echo cry.
A lot of time was spent paddling through lily pads and watching frogs splash into the water.
Thankfully, rain is predicted for today and I can take a break from all this outdoor fun.
Three plants may yield 4(!) blueberries if the deer don’t get them before me.
I hope the rest of my garden yields more.
The new belt for my treadle sewing machine arrived and I was motivated to clean, oil and get her working. I even had a project in mind. A small zipper bag I found through pinterest.
It took two attempts to get the belt the right length. It ‘s probably still a little loose but I ‘ll give it a day or two before I shorten the leather belt again.
There’s definitely a learning curve to get the gears to spin in the right direction. That, coupled with thick fabric and a loose belt, made me treadle myself into a lather.
But I made a cute little bag and my machine shines.
And I still went for a run later in the day.
In the trunk of my car. Wonder how it got there?!
Just when I decided to part with my 1951 rotary sewing machine and replace it with a treadle machine, a treadle machine was listed on Craigslist. Sadly it was for sale in a town in Vt, an hour and a half away, that I had been in yesterday! Alas it was still meant to be.
I saw two pictures and only asked if the needle moves up and down. It does. So away I went.
Although a little dusty, it sews beautifully. All the parts move smoothly and I only have to replace the belt, which is under $10. It was made in 1910 and is known as the “Red Eye” because of its ornate decals.
It included lots of useful accessories; my favorite is this cute little oil can.
The best think is it only cost $50. Bring on the power outage!
Since traveling downstate, I’ve been ON the water, while we sailed the east end, IN the water, when I swam in the ocean off Fire Island, and, yesterday, BY the water of Manhattan.
I was in THE city and walked along the Highline Park, which is a reclaimed, elevated railroad track that spans about 20 blocks, just off the Hudson River. The gardens are spectacular and surrounding graffiti, whimsical.
I continued south along the Hudson River Park, which is at the water’s edge
and paused for a while to begin knitting a(nother) pair of Hedera Socks by Cookie A, one of my favorites. I think I’ve given two pairs away so never have any left for myself. It’s still available free from Knitty and has an easy lace pattern.
Finally, I wandered through Soho and the Village.
What’s a water girl doing in the mountains?
One laceweight sleeve completed for my sweater, one to go. It was a handy project to knit while sailing because the yarn was so light it floated in the breeze and showed the wind direction.
This poor little lighthouse, Cedar Point, in East Hampton, one of the wealthiest communities in the country, lost its tower and doesn’t have the money for repairs. Tsk, tsk.
Island and North Country Life 