Craving Color? Need Some Light? Good Links

Hello Colorful Friends!

March 1st - already? Wow - that means we are 1/6 of the way into 2015. And what a year it has already been. Today we are expecting another snowstorm with 3 to 6 inches. The days are getting longer though and we know we are getting closer to springtime. One of the signs of spring is the annual tapping of the maple trees around the hillsides near our farm. Our maple farming neighbors have been hiking through the deep snow pack, many on snowshoes, to tap their trees. Every year I look forward to seeing the smoke from the sugarhouses rising through the landscape. I think that the sheep will be overjoyed to see green grass, once we get through mud season. As you can see from the photo below, it is still very white and gray here in western Massachusetts.

I am glad to be back with another Sunday Newsletter today. Last week, I missed this weekly winter tradition because my laptop was fried by one of our cats. I am back in business with a smaller Mac Book Pro. Luckily, my hard drive was not harmed and all my files were safe and sound. Sheer relief to say the least. Moral of the story here is "never leave your knitted laptop bag on the floor" when coming home from a few days away - a cat may be mad at you and the winter weather being stuck inside. UGH!

This coming Thursday evening March 5th, I am very excited to be giving the Keynote Speech on Thursday evening at the Roslindale Public Library to open their Annual Yarn and Craft Book Sale. The focus will be on my new book Crafting a Colorful Home. I will be bringing projects from my books for display and will be signing and selling many of my books. A portion of the profits will go to the Boston Public Library System. Check it out here and I hope to see some of you there.

Big news - I will be announcing the list of upcoming classes here at the farm within the next week. Stay tuned and plan your summer learning adventures with a trip to Leyden Glen Farm. Newsletter readers (that is you!) will get first notice of the classes. See photos from past classes here.

This week's sneak peeks from Crafting A Colorful Home are of the Handpainted Lampshades that I made to use in our home. Today's header features several of these cheerful and easy to make shades. See more photos below. The lampshades look like stained glass and they really add a lovely, colorful and handmade look to any home. Check out the Crafting A Colorful Home Lampshade Sneak Peeks below. (Hint, hint - Lampshade Painting is on the itinerary for classes here at the farm.)

I am still taking orders and shipping copies of Crafting a Colorful Home. I have extended the FREE Shipping on Crafting A Colorful Home. I will also continue to include the Kristin Illustrated Bookplate and the set of Kristin Postcards. As always, my family and I thank you for your support of our farm. Hop on over to my website to order here. If you don't do Paypal which I know many people still are not comfortable with, you can still order. Here's how:
Send a check for $27.95 written to Kristin Nicholas to PO Box 212, Bernardston, MA 01337 along with your address. I will send you the book.

Here are some interesting things I have found on the web this week.
• I have been craving and making soups and stews all winter long. Right now there is a pot of Scotch Broth Soup simmering on the stove. I also have plans to make this classic Tomato Soup this week.

• Over on The Bible of British Taste, Ruth has written about Glyn Boyd Harte, a British illustrator and artist. I had the pleasure of having dinner with Glyn and his family on a trip to London many years ago. Glyn was a successful commercial illustrator and very prolific artist. He unfortunately passed away in 2003 from leukemia. He worked before the popularity of the internet and so much of his work is undiscovered. It is nice to learn more about his life via Ruth. He was a master with color.

• Susie Middleton is a cookbook writer and farmer who lives on Martha's Vineyard. She and her family raise 650 chickens and farm veggies. When I read her blog, sometimes I think we are living parallel lives. She features many great recipes. Check out her blog and cookbooks here.

• Are you an Etsy seller or shopper? Abby Glassenberg of the While She Naps blog and podcast has a very interesting article about the changing culture on Etsy. Check it out here. While you are there, sign up for her weekly newsletter if you are someone interested in building a handcraft business. I have an Etsy shop where I sell odds and ends of yarn and many of my embroidery supplies. Although business is nothing like on my website, I like to be on Etsy so that shoppers who would never find out about me discover my shop and work.

• This week, the Cleveland Plain dealer reviewed Crafting a Colorful Home. Here's a quote I love from the review: "Crafting a Colorful Home" is a perfect melding of beautiful photography, sparkling writing and inspiring projects. Yippee!

Thank you for reading and supporting my work in craft and color. Sorry for the length of the newsletter! Scroll on down for some color, yarn, and knitting to brighten up your day.

With best wishes,

Kristin Nicholas

This lampshade features a six sided shade. I painted different designs in each panel. When I get tired of looking at one of the sides, I turn it to another one.

The base is made from a glass gallon antique wine bottle I picked up at a yard sale for 25 cents. I used a "bottle lamp kit" from the hardware store for the light bulb fixture.

A lampshade in the living room featuring ogee shapes, polka dots, and semi-circles.

This lampshade uses the different fabric panels as a basis for the design. It's cheerful colors of pinks, chartreuse, and golds make me smile every time I walk by it.

This lampshade sits on the table on our porch. I found the base at the Brimfield Antique Show and spray painted it black.

Included in Crafting a Colorful Home is the template to paint this lampshade which sits in our living room. An homage to my favorite sunflowers.

In last week's newsletter I featured the Knitted Scrap Yarn Afghan from Crafting a Colorful Home. I told the story of my favorite scarf and how it inspired the afghan. A few readers wanted the pattern for the scarf. Although I do not have a PDF pattern for that favorite scarf, I do have a very similar pattern in my book Color By Kristin. It is called the Little Shepherd's Scrap Yarn Scarf and is shown on my little friend Matthew (who is now driving and almost done with high school!). You can purchase signed copies of Color By Kristin for $24.95 here on my website. I AM OFFERING FREE SHIPPING ON Color By Kristin TOO. Over 25 different patterns. This book is my favorite knitting book of the many I have written.

I've just listed 6 colors of my latest sock yarn - Colorations - from the Design Line by Regia. These colors work up in a pattern similar to a fair isle. The colors were inspired by my favorite ikat fabric. Check out my Etsy shop here.