Morenna

Back to Solsberry--this time to check out the offerings at Robin Edmundson's studio (you can find her at www.morenna.com). I met Robin in October at the Fiber Arts Festival at Corydon, just as she was closing up her booth and tucking the most beautiful yarns into boxes. She said she welcomed visitors, and so I arranged a visit for myself, Bev and Necoe, both students in last fall's sock knitting class.

Robin lives a few miles from Solsberry on a back road that was covered with packed snow and quite hilly, so we held our breath on our way in. We needn't have worried--my old Toyota clung to the road and we cruised up and down the hills and right on into Robin's driveway. We found her in her studio with her two daughters, who were spinning yarn like professionals. There were so many beautiful yarns that it was hard to focus at first, but since (as you all know by now) I am obsessed with tatting hearts, I picked out some pinks and a variegated cotton in shades of blue for a summer top (by this time the temperature was in the high 40's and we were all thinking about spring). Necoe and Bev fixated on a soft angora blend and proceeded to split what was left of it between them. Robin also makes irresistible fragrant soap, a couple of bars of which found their way into my bag. As Necoe's former sock knitting teacher, I was delighted when she chose an expensive but intriguing hank of yarn to make "watermelon socks." What with ooh-ing and aah-ing over all the great stuff, we were there about an hour before our stomachs told us it was time for lunch. A quick stop back at Ellie Mae's for more of that green apple and passionfruit soap I bought the last time, and a handwoven rag rug that I talked myself out of the last time, and we were off for heartwarming chili and grilled cheese at the cafe on highway 45.

All in all, Solsberry is getting to be a happening place, and we Lawrence County girls had a whale of a time. The thread I bought is a little finer than I'm used to tatting with, but I made a heart with it anyway. The art center door is getting too small for my collection of crocheted and tatted hearts. Good thing it's only a week until Valentine's Day.

Ellie Mae's in Solsberry

I had heard that there was a new shop in Solsberry, Ellie Mae's, that had been opened by Marcy Heshelman Cook, so my mom, my aunt Bert and I set out this morning to investigate. I've known the Heshelman family since I was in high school; several of my siblings and I were members of Future Farmers of America under Gary Heshelman, and I babysat for the Heshelman kids one summer when Marcy was about five. They are a fine family and the kids never caused me any trouble. But I digress.

Ellie Mae's is in the cutest little white cottage right on Main Street in Solsberry. I wish I had taken a picture for the blog; I vowed I would but then forgot as soon as I saw the place and couldn't wait to check out the inside. If you are looking for a "Made in Indiana" gift, as I was to send to DD in France, this is the place to go. Bert bought a fab hanging oil lamp made from an old bottle and my mom picked up a jar of preserves, but I was too busy to notice which kind, because I was scooping up cranberry bread mix, scented soaps, local organic flour and the softest turquoise gloves (to match the coat I showed you in December--I have expensive leather ones but they are getting a bit ragged). There were tons of other things worthy of perusing; rag rugs, butter-soft bathrobes, cute pajamas, personalized cake pans and lids (I took the flyer and can't wait to have one made for DS), lots of jellies and jams and baking mixes and fun stuff. Check it out.

We worked up an appetite with all that shopping and chatting with Mary Alice, so our next stop was the Corner Cafe on highway 45 near that triangle where 45 meets 54. Lunch was likewise entirely satisfying; Bert and I had a beef-rich patty melt sandwich and my mom had the grilled tenderloin. We finished off with peach cobbler and ice cream and left the place feeling extremely well-fed, Indiana-style.

Before returning to the castle and the financial aid applications for DD that have been driving me so crazy, we spent a little time at Bert's admiring all her handwork. She's an accomplished stained glass artist and after seeing all her beautiful things, my mom and I are both itching to try it out ourselves. Lucky we found a teacher and have a class scheduled this spring! Bert also has a couple of new quilts nearing completion, to add to all the gorgeous ones on the beds in her house. I left the place thinking, someday, when the dust subsides, maybe my house will look that nice...