Yesterday gale force winds blew out our unusually long, warm, and sunny autumn. It’s comforting to get back to my katazome routine in anticipation of winter and to reminisce about my visit to Maine last week. The complicated geography of mid-coast Maine (Penobscot Bay) where my sister lives has once again filled my imagination with woodland scenes, tidal coves and gray granite hills dappled with scarlet blueberry leaves. It is a quiet place that always replenishes my spirit.
Before leaving I tried my minnow pattern on some Japanese green wool purchased from John Marshall in August. It’s just the right width off the bolt for runners.
silver minnow 
Hi Kit-we too have recently returned from a holiday in that very place,even climbing Penobscot mountain, and I fell in love with it. My first visit to the States and I hope not the last.The minnow cloth is very beautiful and seems to have captured beforehand the colour scheme of Maine. Is the wool cloth a soft, drapey one , or is it firm?
Beautiful and inspiring pictures. I always love color, but the driftwood grabbed my attention.
Hi Judith – I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to Maine. I don’t know about Penobscot mountain, but I have been up to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, and my sister has climbed Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine. It is truly an inspiring place all around. Down my sister’s road is a path through the forest that leads up to a lookout point from which you can see across to Cape Rosier and Little Deer Isle. We had a picnic there on October 19th and the weather was lovely. I could go on and on but will stop now! Hope you get back to Maine and points West.
The wool is rather sheer and somewhat crisp, so would not make a good scarf but I think will be good for runners. I wanted to try it even though it is 10% nylon. I always pre-wash my fabric and this was no exception. Came out of the wash fine. Perhaps it was made for men’s kimono — I forgot to ask John that question so I’m not sure. I fell in love with the colors (not so true here) and the weave; and price of course!
So much driftwood feeds the imagination! Something we don’t have too much of on smaller Minnesota lakes, but Lake Superior gives up a lot of it too!