{"id":15687,"date":"2026-11-14T08:03:28","date_gmt":"2026-11-14T15:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gemtactics.net\/wordpress\/?p=15687"},"modified":"2026-11-14T08:03:33","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T15:03:33","slug":"a-mixed-bag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gemtactics.net\/wordpress\/2026\/11\/a-mixed-bag\/","title":{"rendered":"A mixed bag"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Seed sowing going on — shopping in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick — a cardigan project. The typical sort of fall-y (properly, autumnal!) activities going on here in the first half of November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am still stunned by the blue wave election, speechless. Just know that this was going on at the same time. I feel both really optimistic and apprehensive. They could so easily blow it. Just like everything involved groups of humans, I guess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed Sowing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is known as “winter sowing” and it hasn’t been that successful for me before, but I’m trying it again. This is the method recommended by Wild Seed Project<\/a>, a company I love in southern Maine. I buy seeds from them quite often and then have to hope for the best. These seeds are mostly varieties that have done well in the yard as purchased plants and I could use more of. They are all in their winter resting period now, under hardware cloth to prevent animal predation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Three-lobed coneflower, tall anemone, Bradbury’s bee balm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Dense blazing star, milkweed, New England aster, spotted bee balm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The blazing star and the milkweed were free, first one from a nearby town’s seed swap event, the second from a free market earlier in the year. The packaging is recycled paper, and designed by College of the Atlantic (COA) students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saint Andrews and the Algonquin Hotel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A friend and I went to Saint Andrews in New Brunswick, Canada, last weekend for a knitting event: Cricket Cove’s Fall Wool Gathering at the Algonquin Hotel. We stayed one night in the hotel, did some shopping in Saint Andrews, did a lot of knitting, bought yarn, and had high tea. It was such a refreshing and rejuvenating break from routine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The high tea was extremely impressive. My friend and I shared the meal, which was plenty for each of us, and we each paid for our tea. There were little sandwiches, mini-scones with cunning little jars of spreads, and lastly very fancy pastries. I had a tea called Rooibos Mocha, which was delicious and caffeine free, and she had the Scottish Breakfast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FYI – Saint Andrews has an interesting history. It was founded as a town by Loyalists who didn’t want to be part of America after the Revolutionary War ended. They dismantled their houses and moved them from Castine (the town where I sailed on the Bowdoin<\/a>) across the Saint Croix River, then rebuilt them in a new town called Saint Andrews. It has a distinctly British\/Scottish vibe to this day. Story here: Loyalist Saint Andrews<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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High Tea at the Algonquin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Inspiration \/ Shopping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I wasn’t sure whether to use the word “inspiration” or “shopping” for this section. Maybe they are interchangeable in this case. I look at something in a store and always think “I could make that.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I loved these random creatures with button eyes. Some knitting, some fabric, some patching, some buttons, and you have made a little friend. They are hard to see all bunched up like that. I have a button collection that could really be put to good use with these. And a lot of random scraps and threads\/yarns that would be perfect for stuffing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Art creatures with button eyes, by Shari Larsen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I also loved these needle holders made from patchwork. They can be rolled up for travel or storage. Currently my crochet hooks are all stored in a velvet bag that is too short for them. And my knitting needles are stored in their original envelopes, which helps a lot with identification. But I think I could work out some method of identifying what goes where. The patchwork keepers are really beautiful as well as useful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Patchwork needle keepers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This hat caught my eye too. Not in Saint Andrews, but closer to home in Town Hill on Mount Desert Island. I really like the combination of yarny embroidery and beads. I have a stash of crewel yarn from an earlier project that I could use. And one hat that could really benefit from some embellishment. I don’t generally love really floral designs, but this one is pretty interesting and gives me some direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Floral design on knitted hat, Coffee Matter shop, Town Hill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cardigan Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have really enjoyed knitting this so far, but at this point I’m getting worried about running out of yarn. The yarn was free from a local woman that bought a lot of it at Marden’s (a local job lot type store) and then dyed it. She had much more than she could use so she kindly gave it away at a fiber-arts gathering place known as Chapter Two. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have sleeves to do, and a hem at the bottom edge. Plus the pattern calls for a knitted cord finishing around the opening edge. I had the bright idea that I don’t need to make ribbing for the hem, but can save yarn by finishing with a knitted cord (known as I-cord, a name coined by knitting icon Elizabeth Zimmerman, short for “idiot cord”). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My friend has some of the same yarn. It’s leftover from a project, but was dyed a different color – dark navy. I asked her for her leftovers, so that might help. Stay tuned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beaufort 5 cardigan in progress<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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