November News from Kristin Nicholas

Hello Colorful Friends!

November has arrived. Tell me - where has 2017 gone? Here at the farm we are watching the growing season come to a close. The sheep are still grazing the pastures but the grass is not growing much anymore. Next week, we will be gathering the sheep for their annual shearing. It will take two days and a lot of people hours. There will be three blade shearers, one farmer handing sheep to the shearers and (hopefully) two wool handlers - if I can find someone to help me. I cannot wait until it is over.

The fog has been greeting us each morning. It is a bit dreary but has made for some beautiful photo opps. I've been posting them on my Instagram feed here. The vibrant color of spring and summer has faded away and I'm afraid we are left with lots of gray tones until April. Ugh. I'll have to enjoy the color inside.

I've set the dates for our 3rd Annual Holiday Open House. It will be December 2nd and 3rd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Like in years past, I will be having some special guests to offer you all an interesting selection of gifts for holiday shopping. I'll be previewing lots on my blog over the next few weeks.

Hope to see some of you here. Bring a friend with you. It is a very joyous and fun event. Besides sharing our colorful farmhouse which will give you lots of inspiration for decorating, I will be offering my handmade pottery, books, tea towels, stitching supplies and who knows what else. You will get a preview on many of the projects from my upcoming book Crafting A Patterned Home. Bring a cooler and pick up some of our pasture raised lamb for holiday meals.

I am a bit frantic making ceramics for the upcoming holiday season but somehow I have got to fit in a Christmas stocking for a new little nephew. I'll be using one of my own Christmas stocking pattern designs. Do you have someone new to make a stocking for. Links below to order the PDF pattern for $12 for either 6 or 5 designs.

Here are some fun links for you to explore today.....
• Leaf peeping season is over here in western Massachusetts. Look what Hazel Terry does with leaves.
• Apple Pie Scones anyone?
• Just discovering the La Passacaglia English paper piecing quilt here on Instagram.
• Jill Bliss calls herself a nature nerd. I call her an incredibly talented artist. Check out her composed photos of mushrooms and more here.
• Cool embroidered photographs of famous people here by Victoria Villasana.
• A recipe for pickled swisschard stem from David Lebovitz.
• I got to see the movie Maudie a few weeks ago. It is now available on Netflix. Here is the trailer. If you are a fan of art and craft, you will be touched by this movie.

Yours in color and creativity,

Kristin Nicholas
www.kristinnicholas.com
getting-stitched-on-the-farm.blogspot.com/
www.leydenglenlamb.com

p.s. If you know anyone who might enjoy my newsletter, please forward it to them.

Fair Isle Stocking Cap Pattern for Adults and Kids
PDF Download - 2 sizes
$6
Buy it here or on Ravelry Here

Traditional and Colorful Christmas Stocking Pattern
PDF Download - 6 Designs
$12
Buy it here or on Ravelry here.

Very Easy and Versatile Christmas Stocking Pattern
Only One Color per Row or Round.
PDF Download. 5 Designs
Buy it here for $12 or on Ravelry here.

A fun video of our farm, our farmhouse, and my family.