Skip to main content

Sometimes It Just Falls in Your Lap

Not often, but sometimes...

Earlier this summer, The Farmer confessed his weakness for antique circular sock knitting machines to a woman who works in antiques/estate sales. "Please keep your eyes open for me, will you?" he asked.

Friday, out of the blue, she left a message on our answering machine. "Call me if you get this message within the next 30 minutes or so," she said. "I may have found one." We were both listening to the messages at the same time, and when we heard this one, we looked at each other with chagrin (good word, eh?). It was well past the 30 minutes. The Farmer called her. She'd bought it without our call, just on a whim. Within 15 minutes, she was in our yard, unloading it...


Sweet! A little dirty, perhaps, but it looked like most of the parts were there. And the price was so low that if I print it here, sock knitters around the world will convulse. 


We paid her, thanked her profusely, and ate supper. Suddenly, the previously-scheduled "date night" was off. Two of the children helped take it all apart and clean it up our in the workshop.


Within a couple of hours it was much cleaner, had a new handle and new needles, and we had yarn on it!


A thing of beauty, isn't it? A Home Profit Master machine...made between 1924 and 1926, as nearly as we can tell. 


I wonder if that "date night" will ever be rescheduled...
Labels:

Comments

  1. ELSeptember 15, 2008 at 5:56 PM

    Shivers went through my body as I read that post. You are so lucky what a great find. Is that lady getting a lifetime supply of hand cranked sock now?!!?
    Congrats on the new addition!!
    (stand & all I'm so jealous!)

    ReplyDelete
  2. JulesSeptember 15, 2008 at 7:09 PM

    That is soooo cool!! Way to go! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2008 at 1:11 AM

    How exciting! I can't wait to see all the socks you create.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AlwenSeptember 17, 2008 at 10:51 AM

    CSMs are always a big draw at the Michigan Fiber Festival. Are you going to take it to your farm market booth?

    ReplyDelete
  5. LonaSeptember 17, 2008 at 11:15 AM

    el, she did go home with a very nice pair of ribbed socks. Honestly? She was almost as excited as we were. Nice to know people like that, eh?

    alwen, the only market we're scheduled to do is the Christmas market. And the weather determines our activities, as it's an outdoor market. One year, The Farmer spent a whole day spinning happily--it was 60 degrees. Last year he tried, but almost froze each time. I suspect he'll give it a go, though...

    ReplyDelete
  6. PamSeptember 18, 2008 at 9:53 PM

    Wow!! That is so cool Lona!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bloggy Giveaway--Now Closed

**This bloggy giveaway is now closed** Thanks to all who participated and gave such great comments. Janette is the winner of the $15 gift certificate to our etsy store . I'm participating in the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival . Click the link to go to the carnival where you can enter to win literally hundreds of things. The good news is that even if you have no time to play on the computer trying to win hundreds of things, you can still enter to win one thing right here. This week, I will be giving away a $15 gift certificate to be used toward the purchase of an item in my etsy shop . This contest is open to residents of the United States or Canada only. The winner will receive free shipping on whatever item they choose. Items in my etsy shop include handwoven rugs, wool yarns and roving from our farm, and the ever-popular cotton dishcloth! To be entered in this wonderful drawing, you must go to the etsy shop and look around a bit. Then come back here and type a comment that
132 comments
Read more

Haying 101

A few posts back, "deep end of the loom" (love that name!) asked me to tell a bit more about the haying process. If you want my version, read on. If you'd like to read the official wikipedia version, click here . Haying happens in three steps: cutting, raking and baling. This process takes several days, as the hay must be dry when baled. Moist hay molds and heats up and has even been known to spontaneously combust, burning down the barn. Gotta have dry hay. This first photo is of our haybine. The haybine not only cuts the hay, it also crimps each piece of long grass in several places, to allow for faster drying. We usually cut hay in the early afternoon, when the dew is gone. When we're done, long row of cut grass lie waiting. The hay is allowed to dry for two to three days, depending on wind and sun conditions. Obviously, the more wind and sun the days hold, the quicker the hay will dry. When we feel like the hay is nearly dry, we go out with the rake. There are diff
1 comment
Read more

This Giveaway Is Now Closed!

Today starts a giveaway at Farming in the Shade! I am happy to contribute this complete hat kit (needles not included) to someone who has a knitting obsession and a small person in their life. Here are the rules (contest open to US or Canada residents only): Giveaway ends May 1 at 9 p.m. EST. Winner will be announced by Sunday, May 3. Enter by posting a comment on this blog post. Tell me something about your knitting--who taught you to knit, your favorite yarn, the coolest thing you ever knitted. Make sure you leave contact information! Earn extra entries by: 1) Following me on twitter. (If you don't know what twitter is, don't worry. It's another way to waste your time on the computer.)  Add a comment here so I will count it as one entry. 2) Tweeting this giveaway (no more than once daily). Add a comment here so I know you did it. 3) Blog about this giveaway. Add a comment (with link) here so I can go visit your blog. 4) Follow or subscribe to this blog (or tell me if have
45 comments
Read more