Farmgirl Sister of the Year, Winnie Nielsen (Sister #3109, aka Red Tractor Girl) recently took fabulous trips to Europe, with stops in Iceland and Norway. She writes,
“Red Tractor Girl seems to get around to the weirdest places, but always finds a red tractor waiting! Here I am in UllKistan (WoolKistan?), where wool is king! You know you are in the right place because one of the few trees in Iceland is sporting a knitted sweater out front! How about Red Tractor Girl becoming a shepherdess? This tractor seems up to the task of a large Icelandic sheep farm. How about that beautiful wooly coat of the Icelandic sheep? No wonder they have shops full of beautiful knitted items and skeins of yarn! I wanted to sit on the tractor, but figured that would be pressing my luck a bit. I mean, how would you explain Red Tractor Girl to people who barely speak English?
The cowl on my neck was knitted from the wool I learned to spin last winter in a drop-spin class for my Expert Level Knitting Badge. It came out all different widths and degrees of tightness, but the ladies in the yarn store encouraged me to make it into something. Voila! A knitted cowl with “artisan” yarn. All wonky, tight, loose, and weird, like trying to knit rubber bands and fuzz. However, it turned out pretty nice in the end, and it was nice and thick and oh so warm.
As you know, the red tractor love started when I was 4 and my dad gave me a little red tractor toy from a consulting job he did for International Harvester in Chicago in 1955. I played with that thing for years and years. When I joined the MJF Sisterhood, I wanted some name that aligned me with some sort of farm identity, and the idea just popped into my head. I have never actually driven a tractor or know anything much about them. It is all a bit of fantasy in my head, but now I identify with red tractors as my farm connection. It has made for some darling MJF swap gifts, which I cherish and love!!”
Below are a few stunning photos from Winnie’s trips. I don’t know where these actual photos are from, but maybe Winnie will tell us in the comments section below …
Look who’s gotten into glamping …
Beyoncé’s sister, Solange, and some very fashionable friends went glamping in California’s Joshua Tree National Park for New Year’s Eve.
(Photo via @shionat)
While there, they took an epic group photo that got me to wondering if Solange might be interested in knowing …
(Photo via @saintrecords)
how glamping got its start.
Dearest Solange,
Several years ago, myself and some B&B guests were sitting around a morning campfire (hope you got to enjoy one also, BTW, love your hat) when the husband of one of our couples (housed in tent 3) said, “You know, I have to tell you, when my wife said we were coming over here to spend perfectly good money to use an outhouse, I told her, ‘This MaryJane thing’s got you catnipped,’ but now that I’ve been here and seen it, I’m thinking I’ll go back home, buy a wall tent, put it up the way you’ve done, and the missus and I will finally have our cabin in the woods. So yeah, I get the girly camping thing now. But I’ll have to let her do the glamour part of it.” I said, “Right, how about we call it glamping?” To which we toasted our enamel coffee cups.
Now that someone like yourself gets it too, I’m thinking a star was born that morning (BTW, loved your wedding also, congratulations!).
MaryJane Butters (the woman who ever-so-proudly pioneered the concept)
P.S. Thanks for taking glamping to its highest fruition yet!!!!! Here’s my Airstream.
P.P.S. Next time you go, let me send you some of our s’more kits (w/our homemade marshmallows and organic graham crackers).
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Katie Wright!!!
Katie Wright (Sister #5600) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Intermediate Level Knitting Merit Badge!
“I designed a purse (made up the pattern); chose the yarn; worked the pieces, making front and back, bottom, and side pieces, which included knitting the strap, measuring and planning as I went. I made a buttonhole in one side piece. The purse measures 9″ x 10 1/2″ and has a long strap for using as a cross-body purse.
I worked at this at my knitting group, which meets on Tuesday afternoons and also evenings in Hannibal, Missouri. I shared the pattern with a family member.
Working on this item took me over 20 hours with the knitting, piecing together, sewing a lining, and placing the lining in the purse.
My cross-body, deep-green knitted purse is very attractive. I knit in seed stitch, which just makes it a little more decorative. I made the bottom, sides, and strap in garter stitch to add some variety to the purse. I lined it with a pretty soft grey with white polka dots, which I had left from making a message bag last year. I used a buttonhole stitch around the buttonhole and into the fabric lining and then sewed on a nice, shiny red button … my favorite color. It turned out great and I have used it and received many compliments already. I am sure I will use it for many years to come. I also plan to make a few in the future as gifts for family and friends.”
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
