21 Comments
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Debra Forest's avatar

I have most of the books on your recommended list. Great choices. Have you read The Salt Stones by Helen Whybrow? She's a modern shepherd in Vermont. I'm very interested to compare her life with the shepherd in the book you recommend.

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

We obviously have similar tastes - and no I haven’t read that but it sounds fascinating. I’ll go and add it to my to-read list - thank you.

L Conlon's avatar

i've definitely read a few of Stephanie McPhee's books.....she's a hoot.

and wild critters. living in the country, yes, they are our neighbors. and sometimes unwelcome house guests!!! had a possum sleeping on one of the rocking chairs on the porch!! our remaining beagle, now a pack of one, poses zero threat to the wildlife, and while they keep an eye on her, the bunnies and marmots (groundhogs) just pretty much ignore her!!!

and my niece, sitting on her porch with her morning coffee, felt her cat next to her, and turning to pick up said cat, discovered she had a skunk cozying up to her!!!! no quick movements, skunk strolled away, stinky crisis averted!!!! ah, isn't life grand in the country!?!

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

Oh my goodness, that sounds amazing - and slightly worrisome in terms of the skunk.

L Conlon's avatar

oh yes.....she said it was definitely an oh s**t moment!!!!

Heather Hofstetter's avatar

Louise — do you have any DK-weight sock patterns you especially like? I have an embarrassing single-skein DK collection, and socks sound like a good way to use up some of them!

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

I've used this Blueberry Waffle pattern a few times and it's really good

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blueberry-ribbed-waffle-socks

Lyn Zalk's avatar

We also experience these seasonal challenges!!

mermcoelho's avatar

Louise, I live in the PNW in the US, and we have the same joke. Yesterday was almost 80. Tomorrow, the second day of spring, is forecast to be in the low 50s. False Spring it is.

I can’t wait to hear about the icord tool!

Thanks for all you do.

Oh, bookshop.org has a US counterpart, but that probably doesn’t help if you need a truly international option. Best of luck!

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

It's a good job we are knitters and like to make lots of warm layers isn't it 😂

rachel lee's avatar

Thank you for the sweet shoutout! I am also in the spring of deception over here in the US…impatiently waiting for true spring. I wish I had hedgehogs in my yard. They sound like the cutest, spunkiest creatures.

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

Hedgehogs are adorable and I'd no idea they didn't have a US counterpart - you learn something new every day 😂

L Conlon's avatar

we had hedgehogs in Washington state in the PNW. and i've just looked them up, apparently must've been one someone released because the pictures i saw were exactly what it was. i guess i saw the only one in north america!!! lololol

Lee's avatar

No hedgehogs in the US, but Julie Williams (Little Cotton Rabbits) has a cute pattern in 3 sizes. Once my current project is finished, I plan to knit one for a pincushion.😁

L Conlon's avatar

we had them where i lived in Belfair,WA. that was back in 89.....so maybe they've disappeared since then?? and having looked them up, must've been a pet someone released. it was exactly as the pictures, definitely not a porcupine. back then lots of people had exotic pets.

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

Aww, that's adorable. I love that idea

Raine Fraser's avatar

Here's a second up vote for Bookshop.org in the US. It supports local indie bookshops but they carry trad published books, too. It's a great way to support indie shops.

The Swedish use the word vötvinter when talking about the month of March. It literally means "spring winter". A recent example: my full blown forsythia, covered in snow (for one day only.) 😁

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

I'll take a look at the Bookshop option thank you. As a non US resident sometimes these things are difficult to set up. But we can only try 😂

Kailee's avatar

Bookshop.org is also available in the US! You may have to pick a US indie to support though. (I’ll just recommend my local, Transom Bookshop in New York, if you need one)

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

Thank you, I'll definitely look into that

Gail Doggett's avatar

That is such a beautiful way of describing menopause.

Also, that striping yarn is 👌🏻