I love this yarn. I know I say that a lot, but I do. This yarn comes from Greenwood Hill Farm and is 100% Merino Wool. These gorgeous colors are the natural colors of the sheep. The colors here are Slate and Silver.




This pattern uses a 4 mm hook and took 3 skeins of the slate and 2 skeins of the silver. Each skein is 180 yards.
Stitches:
ch - chain
sk st - skip stitch
sl st - slip stitch
sc - single crochet
hdc - half double crochet
dc - double crochet
tc - triple crochet

The cast on for this is in multiples of 16 + 2. On the back side I did 66 stitches. I wasn't sure if the shirt was going to be big enough so on the front side I did 80 stitches. Some of you might be thinking - how does that work the front and the back being different number of stitches? When you sew it together you just leave the extra stitches in the neck. It does mean that the shirt has an obvious front side. You can decide to do what I did or have two exactly the same size.

It's also worth noting that all of the even rows are sc all the way across.




Row 1: sc in the 2nd chain from the hook, * ch 1, sk st, hdc, ch, sk st, dc, ch, sk st, tc, ch, sk st, tc, ch, sk st, dc, ch, sk st, hdc, ch, sk st, sc, ch, sk st, sc. Repeat from * ending on a sc
Row 2: sc in each chain across
Row 3: ch 4, tc, *ch 1, sk st, dc, ch 1, sk st, hdc, ch 1, sk st, sc, ch 1, sk st, sc, ch 1, sk st, hdc, ch 1, sk st, dc, ch 1, sk st, tr, ch 1, sk st, tr. Repeat from * ending on a tc
Row 4: Repeat row 2
Row 5: ch 2, sk 2, sc, * ch 1, sk st, hdc, ch, sk st, dc, ch, sk st, tc, ch, sk st, tc, ch, sk st, dc, ch, sk st, hdc, ch, sk st, sc, ch, sk st, sc. Repeat from * ending on a sc
Repeat Rows 2-5 for pattern always ending on an even row.
Row 43: change colors and continue rows 43-52 in the second color.
Make your second panel deciding whether you're going to make it the same width or 16 stitches wider.

Line up the two panels on the outside and pin. If you've made the front panel larger then pay attention to the back panel. You want a neck opening that is about 10 inches wide. Measure the middle and then go 5 inches in either direction. Line up the front panel starting with the shoulder - you will have extra material in the neck in the front panel.

Sew up the sides. I almost always start my sides 1.5 to 2 inches from the bottom. Leave an arm hole that is 8 inches wide at the top.




For the sleeves use the same color as the top. I always start my sleeves in the armpit so I wasn't too concerned at getting exactly 66 stitches. Start your yarn and sc around. I picked up 62 stitches ending on a hdc. Sl st to join.
Row 1: sc in the 2nd chain from the hook, * ch 1, sk st, hdc, ch, sk st, dc, ch, sk st, tc, ch, sk st, tc, ch, sk st, dc, ch, sk st, hdc, ch, sk st, sc, ch, sk st, sc. Repeat from *. Depending on how many stitches you picked up your ending might be different. With 62 I ended on a hdc. Sl st to join
Row 2: sc in each chain across
Row 3: ch 4, tc, *ch 1, sk st, dc, ch 1, sk st, hdc, ch 1, sk st, sc, ch 1, sk st, sc, ch 1, sk st, hdc, ch 1, sk st, dc, ch 1, sk st, tr, ch 1, sk st, tr. Repeat from *. Sl st to join
Row 4: Repeat row 2
Row 5: repeat row 1
Row 6: repeat row 2
Row 7: repeat row 3
Row 8: repeat row 2
Row 9: repeat row 1. You're going to start tapering in so end on a dc instead of the hdc
Row 10: repeat row 2
Row 11: repeat row 3. Taper again end on a sc
Row 12: repeat row 2
Row 13 repeat row 1. Taper again end on a tc
Row 14: repeat row 2
Row 15: repeat row 3. Last taper end on a hdc
Row 16: repeat row 2.

Weave in all of your ends and you're done!

Busy busy weekend! Friday night and Saturday morning I was working on some stuff to get ready for the Havre de Grace Art show in 2 weeks. Fingers crossed that everything dries quickly, without cracking, so that I can bisque it all and get it glazed before the 22nd.

I needed to replenesh my pumpkins as I was wiped out in the fingerlakes from all the people needing pumpkins in their lives. I also made some in b-mix.


Birch trees are really popular this season so I decided to make a few birch tree mugs. What glaze do you think for the inside? Red? White? Something else entirely?

The Bark/Leaf Globe made it out of the form in one piece! I needed a third hand so I had my husband pull out the form while I held onto the orb. It's now drying under plastic. I need it and everything else I've made this week to dry quick, but not crack or warp. I found out that I have travel for work next week and that cuts into my making schedule for the Havre de Grace Art Show.

Speaking of shows tomorrow I will be at the final Belle Aire Market of the season.

I made some more pumpkins this week. I knew they were awesome, but they were also one of the highlights of the show over the weekend. People really loved them. Here are two new ones in clay form that are now drying.


You might remember that this is what the last 2 looked like finished.




I have another pumpkin mold that's a bit more short and wide that I used the same technique on. I think this cutie is going to be awesome too. Now to get all 3 to make it through the glaze process. The pumpkins are really sturdy once they get through glaze, but as greenware they are so fragile. I was so nervous last time on what seems like a very long walk up the basement stairs and to the garage.




Speaking of fragile....I also attempted to make another bark/leaf globe last night. This isn't a great picture, but its the best I could do in the form. The last time I did this was at Michael Harbridge's workshop. I had to think back and remember how I did this. My work table is a lot higher than Michael's folding table and that made it a bit more challenging.




This is the finished piece from the workshop. I left the wet globe at Michael's house and he bisque fired it for me and then mailed it. Going to be interesting getting it into bisque. This one scares me more than the pumpkins! It's just so gorgeous that it's worth it!

This one pumpkin gave me so much trouble. I could not get it to stay on it's stilt. I did all of the other pumpkins on a different shelf and then I went back to this one. I was so proud of myself for getting it to stay. Ha! The blue thing is a part of the fish 2.0 that I'm making for Craig.







I brought it up to Craig to show him the "progress" and he immediately turned it into a dog hat. Who wears it better?




These things happen sometimes. I think the fish will work with one less body piece and I can always make another. I also think maybe I can market this dog hat thing ;)

This past weekend I was at the MacKenzie-Childs Artisan Craft Festival in Aurora NY. It was their first time holding this festival, but I hope that they decide to continue. There were great crowds both Friday and Saturday. Sunday was a little slower, but still had a good number of people.

This was my first show that was out of state and required staying at a place overnight. So what did I learn? First, MacKenzie-Childs puts on a really good show. Starting with the drop off which was really well organized with time slots. We got the booth "empty" setup on Thursday afternoon.


This is my setup from Friday. I am still loving the shelves that Craig built for me. It enables me to display the more artsy items separate from the more tactical items in my booth.




The shelves work really well. My one complaint of them is that he intentionally made it so that the biggest shelf was on the bottom. That means that I can't display some of my pieces like the lemon plates at eye level. I'm not sure it matters though as peopel did come in and interact with the shelves at just about every level.




On the right side of my booth is more tactical items like the mugs and some smaller plates. It has been interesting finding the balance between having enough variety out for people to see vs not making things too cluttered. I ended up setting up slightly differently each day. Also during the day I'd move things around. It's the first time I've really done that and I think it worked well.




I didn't realize how dark this picture came out with the light behind it. I should have taken it later in the day. I had a new jewelry setup for this show. I still didn't sell a lot of jewelry. I'm not sure if that's because I still don't have it displayed well or if people just think ceramic jewelry is too heave or people don't like my jewelry or if it's the display. Going to have to do more research on this one.
Speaking of research, I have a clipboard of what I have and then as I make sales I record what I've sold. You know when that's difficult to do- when there is a line of people waiting to buy stuff. I mean, it's great to have a line of people wanting to buy my stuff, but it was also stressful.




There was a gentleman in the next tent selling felt flowers. You could go into his booth and make your own bouquet. I always mean to have fresh flowers in my vases to show off what they are, but never have the time. Leaph Boutique was the perfect solution to this. Now I'll always have flowers, he even styled them for me.




Part of the expense of the weekend was because we rented a house so we could bring the dogs with us. It's just a really expensive area. Willow approved though.




The view from the house was also amazing.




All in all this was a great experience. I do hope that MacKenzie-Childs decides to make this an annual event. I don't know that I want to do other out of town events, but I would strongly consider doing this one again next year.