The Adsit Adventure: It’s Been a Minute

Happy Fall, y’all! That photo is from last year’s Autumnal Equinox, which we witnessed while in rural Shelbyville, KY.

Autumnal Equinox

It turned out to be the last time we got to see my brother Terry, who passed away in January, and I am beyond thankful for those precious moments we got to spend with him and LaDonna. Carpe diem…Horace’s famous admonition to “seize the day!” Right?

Latin scholar, Maria S. Marsilio suggests carpe diem is a horticultural metaphor that, particularly seen in the context of the epic poem, is more accurately translated as "plucking the day,” evoking the plucking and gathering of ripening fruits or flowers, enjoying a moment that is rooted in the sensory experience of nature. So…having a silo…in the photo…seems apropos…no?

Hard to believe, but the year 2024 is nearly 3/4 over. Time for cooler days to arrive…sooner rather than later…any time now…I’m still waiting…ahem…

It’s also time for fun Fall activities like festivals and the much-loved county fair. I remember how excited I would get about going to the Mid-South Fair in Memphis, which we’d visit nearly every September, usually in conjunction with the Memphis State-Ole Miss football game. Mercy me, I’m really dating myself with that sentence. The Fair hasn’t been held in Memphis in over 15 years (it’s now in Southaven, MS), Memphis State hasn’t been Memphis State in 30 years (it’s now the University of Memphis), and those two schools haven’t played football since 2019, when Memphis won…so Ole Miss probably isn’t itching for a rematch. But I digress.

Recently, when reviewing some milestones I’ve managed to have in my life…along with some I’ve missed, I realized that “winning a ribbon at the Fair” was gathering dust, neglected in some long lost corner of my mind. Seemed a bit silly…not to mention old-fashioned…at first glance, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought “why not try?” And, it just so happens that I am now living in a county that maintains a fairgrounds venue that still hosts an annual event every September: the Gwinnett County Fair. Well, well, well…what was I waiting on? Carpe diem, y’all!

Although I no longer smock like my friend Lyn, who won a cherished blue ribbon for a smocked christening gown at the Mid-South Fair long, long ago…and is likely the original inspiration for this bucket-list item…I do knit. A lot. And when I reviewed the guidelines for the Gwinnett County Fair’s exhibit entries, I saw several categories for knitted items that I had made since last September (one of the rules). I had a few items I could choose from. Ok…a lot of items. So I selected 4 things and filled out the online entry forms before I could change my mind. Here’s what I entered:

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Class 423, Knitted Afghan: Trisha’s Trifle Wrap

Using a collection of 24 fingering weight merino wool minis from several stashed McMullin Fiber Co. countdown kits held together with deep-stash find of alpaca lace weight, the knitter took pattern designer Helen Stewart to heart when she said “the Trifle Wrap takes after its namesake in every way: light and decadent, gorgeously layered, and delightfully over the top…and it can be made beautifully out of leftovers from your (yarn) stash.”

Class 427, Knitted Shawl: 24 Blue Birds Shawl

“Twenty-Four Blue Birds” is a full-circle shawl, inspired by the iconic prints and tapestries of the Arts and Crafts era. The original designer, Helen Stewart, says this pattern ”is a tribute to Arts and Crafts legends William Morris and his daughter May, Edward Burne-Jones, and their fellow designers and artists, (who) left us such a legacy of beauty and craftsmanship.” This pi-inspired shawl used 5 skeins of “Miss Babs” Yet, a hand-dyed lace weight yarn in 65% merino wool and 35% tussah silk, featuring stylized botanical lace motifs which shift into a circle of twenty-four “birds” towards the border, incorporating 48 beads to represent the knitter’s 48th wedding anniversary in 2024.

Class 429, Knitted Cowl: Muppet Mayhem Cowl

The original designer says “this pattern is an homage to The Muppet Show and its traditional silliness…(.including) Yip Yip Dip Stitches, Fozzi Bear’s wiggling ears, and some strings of Miss Piggy’s purls. (along with) some slipped stitches that resemble Animal’s drumsticks (from the Electric Mayhem Band).” The knitter modified the original pattern to create a bandana-style cowl using 5 colors of merino wool.

Class 618, Holiday House, Miscellaneous: Haunted House Cowl

The original pattern designer of The Haunted House Cowl warned us that “this Halloween knit is full of frights and delights…(using) a combination of textural stitches and stranded colorwork…” including motifs for Jack o’ Lanterns, bats, witches’ brooms, and even scary skeletons. The knitter used 6 different seasonal colors of mini skeins, including both 100% merino wool and 70/20/10 merino/cashmere goat/nylon (MCN) yarns.

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We delivered the items on September 6th as directed, had a sashay through the Exhibit Hall to see what others were entering (ooh! ahh!), and then left it to the judges to make their selections.

Thomas and I made our way over to the Fairgrounds in Lawrenceville today as it was “pick up” day for all entries. When we entered the Exhibit Hall, a young lady coming toward the door was holding a framed picture which was sporting a blue ribbon. I congratulated her and asked to see the winning entry, which turned out to be an oil painting she had done of her Aunt’s church. The colors were beautiful, and her brushstrokes captured the aged brick structure surrounded by a profusion of thick shrubbery to perfection. And you could tell how happy she was with her accomplishment. I do hope it’s one of many blue ribbons she will receive in her life.

We lined up to give the staffers my entry receipts so I could collect my items. As the lady headed over to another area, I spotted my circular (or “pi”) 24 Blue Birds shawl…from which dangled a ribbon. I couldn’t help myself…my whole face was smiling. Then, I saw my Muppet Mayhem cowl…which was also sporting a ribbon. More smiles. And then, I saw her retrieve my Trisha’s Trifle Wrap, which was a last second addition to my entry, because I thought the colors said “Fall” better than the other items. The ribbon attached to it was red (second place), which was actually the first time that I realized the other two were blue (first place) ribbons. My hands started shaking as I began to take it all in.

Then, to my utter amazement, I saw a ribbon attached to my Haunted House cowl. A blue ribbon. I was stunned. While this cowl has lots of colorwork (6 different colors of yarn) and required uninterrupted attention to the details of the pattern (which includes pumpkins, bats, eyeballs, ghosts, witches’ brooms, and skeletons), I thought it would never stand a chance against its competitors. You see, the Fair rules state that ALL holiday items must be entered in the Holiday House category…so, my spooky cowl was competing with cuddly Easter bunnies as well as elves and Santas. What were the chances? Turns out…pretty good!!