Summer revisited: Fiber, friends, frivolity

Yes,  I have been AWOL for, I guess, three months steeped in the joy of a glorious summer in Northern Michigan enjoying old friends and making special new ones.  Before I left Dallas in May, I connected on the internet with some special women on a Michigan spinners group on Ravelry, an on-line community of fiber nuts.
I trooped over to meet them the first Weds. night I was in town at Knit Night at the Dutch Oven, a yarn shop that is adjacent to a bakery.  That was all it took.  Meta and I hit it off as we confessed our spinning addiction and it's necessity for a fleet of wheels.  Dot was one of the first contact and is a steady, lovely, talented person.

Here are Meta and I in her studio getting ready to get wild with some artsy batts.  That place is amazing; customized dye kitchen and large work surfaces for carding, blocking and painting fiber.

Sandy was at Dutch Oven very soon after that first night.  She spins, knits and keeps us laughing.  Heck, she invited Meta and I to stay in her condo down in Holland, MI, when we attended the Michigan Fiber Festival.  She had met us maybe twice!!! That was a blast.

 I saw the Mimi Shawl by at Cynthia Too's shop in Petoskey.  I felt like it would be perfect for some of my hand spun yarn.  One of my summer goals was to use up quantities of my mounding hand spun yarns.  Here it is on the blocking boards.  It's soft and cozy when not stretched and pinned to death.

 The lace pattern kept my attention for sure.

 Does it look like hawk-wings-in-aqua here?

 Then I got tripped up on Madeline Tosh yarns that Cynthia started adding to her shop. 

Meta brought her finished Stephen West Spectra scarf and I HAD  to do one.

Here is the start of mine.  I am almost done with it now and have a second one planned.

I have knit prolifically this summer and done some spinning.  More posts on that and on a Knit-A-Long I am doing with a group from Cynthia Too.
I have goodies for the shop in the way of luscious Leceister Long Wool lamb locks and Wensleydale lamb locks that I have found from a local Northern Michigan farm.  Look for that in late October, I hope.
I think I'm glad to be back to the blog.  So much to share.

Up North Floral Abundance

Part of the summer glory up in Northern Michigan includes amazing, bright flowers.  The grand porch above wraps around a rambling manse on Beach Drive.  There are about nine of these boxes adorning it.

 Ok, this is not a box, but a garden that I gravitate toward every year.  Great perennials mixed with annuals to enjoy all summer

 Even the storage shed up at Three Pines Gallery in Cross Village gets it's own dash of color.   I love the gate leaning on the side.

 A big yellow house on Beach Drive sports four of these patriot boxes.  Love to have wine here with my friend and watch the boats on the bay.

 In Harbor Springs, one of the galleries has these geraniums with all the trailing white blossoms.

 My favorite knit shop anywhere, anywhere, Cynthia Too/Two in Petoskey has all of this floral glory out in front just drawing you into Cynthia's shop.  She has tempting yarn and unbelieveably cute gift ideas all over the shop.  I go here twice a month for Open Knit day.

Kicking back Up North

Yes, Up North, is the way Michiganders refer to northern Michigan.  I am almost feeling guilty to be enjoying the cool, even breezy cold, weather here as Dallasites suffer with 100 degree heat already in early June.  I think the summer there could be a b@3%h.  I love wearing sweaters and light weight jackets.  Wish I had brought more flats and not so many sandals.  Oops, am I rubbing it in?
So much to do here.  Friday night we cruised around the sidewalk party in Petoskey.  I got to visit the precious Cynthia2 knit shop.  They have knitting gatherings on certain Saturdays this summer that I want to frequent.

Also got to visit Fustini's in person.  I have been ordering specialty olive oils and vinegars  online for them.  In the store you get to taste all the products.  Fabulous.  They are temporarily discontinuing Porcini Mushroom Oil so I selected Lemon instead to companion with my fave vinegar, Lavender.

Yummy choices to add to my big full meal salads.
The Harbor Springs farmers market should be starting soon, so uber fresh lettuce and tomatoes will be just a bike ride away.  I'm telling you, this is Camp-for-Grownups.