Officially "In Business"

Hi Megs,

Yes - even though we are far away, somehow I feel connected to you - we are so different yet so alike! I find that whenever I get the urge to call my mother, I call and find out something "interesting" has happened to her. Or maybe just lots of interesting things happen to her even at 91!

Please tell how you do the heel of those "boyfriend (aka husband) socks". And yes, we live in parallel universes. That is exactly what Emmi does to the back of her socks (this technique has gone from one coast to the other). Emmi is German and said her mother taught her how do do it. Emmi explained it and I tried it but must be doing something wrong - it came up wonky. I do like Victorian Lace Today - even better than Meg Swansen's, A Gathering of Lace. The gray shawl I am making with the red beads is based on the pattern for Miss Watts (different size needles, different yarn, different beads, longer picots, different placement of picots & beads).

Now - speaking of shoes and "Great minds think alike" - you know how much I love shoes! When out shopping sometimes I just can't find any cloths that look good on my chubby body - but shoes always fit. I bought a pair of Cole-Haan shoes on sale in Edmonton - black almost like the ones you have - loved them - wore them to dust and then searched e-bay for a pair and found the exact pair - my size -YEA! Shoes are personal.

Absolutely love the things you have made. The MS3 - well hard to believe how beautiful it drapes. So I take it all back - the designer knew what she was doing! The wings make the shawl. And your sweater and you are much prettier than the picture in the Rowan magazine. Can't believe your crocheted it! My crochet has only been granny squares - not interesting!

You have been much more productive than I have getting things off the needles. The Eveleen looks really good in the picture - as your grandmother would say of any flaw, "You won't see it on a flying horse".

I did finish hooking the Place/Jones Mat and am now finishing the edges. It is really big so it takes a long time. I really like how it turned out. It is for mother for Christmas (missed her birthday - didn't get it finished). It will be nice when I have it all done.

I am now officially "in business" with At the Sign of the Whale and Hands on Crafts. Pam and I have a little section on rug hooking set up and have had our first day of selling. I only have to be there 1 1/2 days every 3 weeks so not hard duty. Interesting to talk to people. We have a lot of people in the store - tourists and locals. If there is a shortage of tourists in Yarmouth you don't see it at Hands on Crafts. I don't think I have sold anything yet but it is interesting to meet all the people. Pam sold some kits and I helped a couple of women - showing them how to hook. (That is Doris Cook at the cash - she does wonderful knitting, spinning and quilting of garments - she does everything! You can see some of my items on display.)

I took Mason & Dixon Knitting when I was at Hands on Crafts and they loved it. This is a book you have to keep reading and looking at or you will miss something. I made one of the little bibs our of denim yarn and it came out really nice. Usable because you can throw it in the washing machine and dryer. With making your little squares you have fallen in the trap of the "hit and miss" mat. The "hit and miss" is supposed to be made with cut wool left over from other mats - but once you get started you are missing a colour or run out and you wind up dyeing or buying more yarn for the thing and then you have left overs - it is endless.... You never use up all your pits and pieces - they multiply.

Hockey - Yarmouth Mariners Junior A team - has started with a pre-season Lobster Pot tournament. So have spent the last two nights at the Mariners Centre. Your father is now writing the program notes for each game series as well as doing some statistics for the team. We both just can't seem to just do nothing.

I went our on the zodiac with the Kayak gals - we went to see the puffins but they were gone. We got a nice view of the Cat as we were going out (it had just come in from Bar Harbor) and had a grand time.
Went to a hook-in at Iris Richards' cottage on Bird Lake. (Iris is at the top right - red dress and wonderful white hair). It was for the Carpetbaggers and Rugg Bees. It was nice - we are having beautiful weather. I am off to the Rug Hooking Guild's Rug School in Corwallis in mid September and I am chairing our annual Yarmouth Craft Splash Festival September 30 to October 6 - up to our Thanksgiving weekend. During the week I am going to teach a knitting course, a demonstration of knitting at the tourist bureau and the Carpetbaggers are hooking at the Yarmouth Museum. We are also going to have a knit-in at the Town Hall. Got the September issue of the Guild finished and hope to have it sorted and in the mail on Monday. I also went up Digby last Saturday to the Wharf Rat Rally (motorcyles) to sell tickets for the Rotary Club's Winner's Choice Lottery - one of the prizes is a Harley "Fat Boy"???? We sold lots of tickets! Abour 4,000 bikers there. I do love retirement - really do because I have the time to do things I like to do - and crazy thaings! Not that I didn't like what I was doing in education - but also did all this other stuff on the side - now I get to do it during the day!

Take care - I am sure Matt is now settled at Berkley and you have nicer weather for you all to enjoy. It must be beautiful this time of year. This is our warmest month (during the day but nights are cool). We have had some wonderful moon light - so bright you can see colour! I do like the fall, particularly like it because I don't have to start another school year.

And - talk about crazy. Here are two pictures. While we have deer in our yard, here is a deer who was found swimming in the ocean of Yarmouth, 1 1/2 miles off shore. And a picture of a 260+ lb. halibut caught aboard "Pa's Devils" this week. Living in Yarmouth is interesting!

Love ya,

Mom