Sunday, April 22, 2007

New England Time Travel

We had the best day ever yesterday. Rolfe rented a zip car for 8:30 a.m., we packed the kids, and headed for Old Sturbridge Village . It was nice and warm outside, in the 60s. A warm wind was blowing gently. The girls of the family were wearing flowing summer dresses. We took the scenic route, driving through one New England town after the other, with oohs, and ahhs for every beautiful house on the way. There were so many, that we did a lot of oohhing, and ahhing, and since I forgot my camera you will just have to take my word for it! The landscape was stunning, with rolling hills, trees everywhere, and the light was the same beautiful color I used to love back in Normandy.

We got to Old Sturbridge village by noon, and started walking through the village. The first and last time, till now, that I visited Sturbridge village, I was 14 years old and an exchange student. I still remember the beauty, the peace, spinning yarn and making molasses bread. I felt the same inner peace when we arrived, and found the same beauty I had found years earlier. We visited all the buildings, but the exhibits that were of particular interest to me were the fiber and needlecraft related ones.

I learned about a technique called yarn sewing. The technique was applied for decorative prurposes, kind of like rug hooking, but it was also used in knitting. I saw a pair of mittens with that particular treatment. The mitten was first knit, then pieces of yarn we sewn on, one for every stitch, leaving a short loop to appear on the surface of the mitten. The mitten was covered with these loops.
What an interesting technique! It definitely intrigued me, and I may have to give it a try.

The other knit objects I admired, were the handknit stockings. Imagine the finest wool, linen or cotton lace weight yarn, the thinnest dpts you have ever seen, the most even tension, and you've got incredibly beautiful stockings. I loved the simplicity, and purity of the stockings, and decided I'd have to get some lace weight merino, and try my hand at knitting a pair of socks at that gauge! I can see another trip to the yarn store in my future!

After four hours, the children were getting tired, so we decided to go for a little car ride before returning home. We ended up in Providence, RI, and saw an amazing neighborhood on the side of a hill, covered with historic homes dating back to the 1790s. My eyes were open as wide as they could, as I took in the lovely colors of the carefully restored homes, and as I admired their volumes.
If we move again, I want to live in an early American home... When the kids heard me say that, they all said, "we're not going to move again, are we?", and Rolfe said, "I knew you'd want to move again!"

We then drove off towards Cape Cod, and Hyannis. When I was 16, I visited my exchange friend Alexis. Her favorite thing to do at night was cruising down the main street over and over and over again. As A French girl, I was a little surprised by the habit, and being at time quite naive when it came to boy and girl interactions, I did not quite get the point.
Last night, for the first time in 21 years, I went cruising again. I am not sure people do cruising any more, but I went cruising. So there we were, in the family van, with two of the kids screaming they had to go, and couldn't hold it anymore! I am not sure I'll ever get cruising!

Well, today is Sunday, and it is Knitsmiths day, and I can't wait to go sit and knit with friends for a few hours. A perfect end to a perfect weekend!