no cigars at sheep festivals anyway!

Close but...I am 2.5" of sleeve plus a full sleeve away from done. My Rug will not be going to Hudson Valley for A Woolen Affair and NY Sheep & Wool when I leave tomorrow morning. It's going to be too warm for a bulky alpaca/wool nubbly sweater anyway. Silver linings: I love this sweater. The fit is perfection, the super rolly edge should  block out as lightly rolled..   I showed my support for local wool growers and the Rhinebeck Sweaters for Good pledge. All that AND repurposed yarn that was not living its best life here as a failed mens sweater. Calling it a win win win. 

The sweater was left in the dust-or I should say left away from the dust due to teaching at Ghost Ranch in Abiqui New Mexico Oct 1-11th. It was spectacular. More than just a workshop or retreat space, this is a historic ranch (Georgia O'Keefe lived and painted here) in a a deeply special place on earth. The light, the landforms, the stars. the history, the silence, the expansiveness... all of that. You can daytrip visit -its not too far from SantaFe or Taos- stay for a night or more or  take a workshop.  I recommend it highly. It's the kind of place you can go alone and find kindred spirits.

Not wanting to shlep an almost finished bulky sweater. I cast-on a new project with new yarn--something I haven't been doing much this year of finishing stuff!  I was in Montana in late August, for a photo shoot that included  the dye house and shop The Farmers Daughter Fibers in Great Falls MT. They are lovely people. And the yarn! Beautiful  depth of color and specific wools are my jam.  It met my yarn buying rule: have  meaning and  a project in mind. ! I chose two skeins of Soka'pii, a fingering weight single from regional sheep (Montana and Wyoming). Thematically I cast on Alpilles, a new design by Amy Christoffers with a texture honoring a mountain range. I figured I'd bring it to New Mexico ,knitting it while in the high mesa and canyons, tying my late summer/fall high altitude adventures together.  I even thought I'd call it done whatever size it would be when I returned to sea leve.l However... I want something a bit beigger than a neckerchief so onward we go. 

I happened to be co-teaching with  friend, writer and fiber artist Beverly Army Williams. In our off time we explored the ranch and afield. One day we traveled to "local" yarn shop,5 0 miles away, Tierra Wools in Chama. Tierra  is a weaving center as well as selling their own local handdyed  yarn for weavers and knitters. The rugs are gorgeous although I mostly had eyes for the bulky yarn singles.   One more special-to-me purchase-- this skein to make a hat that will remind me of the light on the mesa at sunset.  

An 2 hour horseback ride  on the ranch visited sites of some Georgia O'Keeffe's well known paintings . I learned  that G O'K is worthy of her legend and ,also, she wasn't using her imagination! The colors, the shapes the light you see in her landscapes from that area exist just as she painted.  It was mindblowing.  I shall spam you with a few more views lower down.

And as far as reading: The Reservation by Rebecca Kaufman. It's a light workplace (restaurant) mystery. I'd give it  3 out of 5 stars. There was one short chapter that was perfect and amazing, I wonder if the author wrote it first as a short story and then the rest of the book happened. 

 Glad to be back Unraveling, even if there's no set of links to others this week!