Didja Miss Me?

It feels as if I've been away from the blog for a while, but I guess it's just that I've been so busy it feels as if time has compressed itself. I bet this will be how it will feel when I'm away for a longer stretch next month.
About which more later. Right now, here's some lovely Project Spectrum goodies.
First up, gazanias:

These really do seem to glow from within, don't they?
Next, a rather fuzzy pink rose--pardon the lack of focus, but please note: it has company. I wanted to get the bee, and I was standing on my head to begin with. This is Scepter'd Isle, and she's a David Austin.

This one really is that color--St. Patrick's Day is the name, and the buds start out bright green and open to a rich yellow with green edges.

Double Delight: extremely fragrant, and very very pretty. When you go back to the rose garden, all you can smell is this heady perfume. Very very "rose-y."


Laundry helper. What is it with cats and freshly folded towels?
Note he's sleeping right next to the purr pad. Maybe I should run that through the washer and dryer and he'd like it better? If it smelled like lavender instead of cat?




Promised you some knitting, right? This is for the Shawl Ministry in CT.
I like the pastel colors--too much blue and lavender etc. for it to be Project Spectrum-y, but still very soft and cuddlesome. I hope that it will bring some cheer and comfort when it gets there.

Couple more pictures of things that are leaving the Family Abode for other pastures--

In other words, these are going to go live with my son and his family. The pitcher and bowl were bought with #2 and M in mind, many years ago. So how do you get a LARGE pitcher and bowl across the country? Why, you wrap them in a quilt and send them off with my brother, that's how! The quilt is appropriate, since both my son and his son have Patrick as a middle name.

Included in the package is this amazing assortment. Those are eyecups, for the uninitiated among you--lots and lots of Eyewash Cups (as eBay calls them). My husband collected them over the years, including some he got in England. (He looked in Australia but didn't find any there, although he did come home with a very unusual pale green soup bowl. Depression Glass collectors are like that, and they make wonderful spouses for Yarn and Fabric Collectors.) So the cups are wrapped in bubble wrap, and tucked into a box, and the little showcase--which came from an old apothecary shop, and has been stripped but not refinished--has been wrapped in this quilt.
Around the Twist pattern, Hoffman berry print background, assorted tone-on-tone colors for the twists. This was made, oh, maybe 12 years ago? It's lap size. I really like it, but it's time for it to move to another part of the family.
Parting with the quilt isn't as easy as I thought it would be, but I think it will have a nice useful life where it's going. What surprised me the most was the emotions the eyecups stirred up. Remembering how much fun he had gathering them, how excited he was when he found the cabinet, how much time he spent polishing and arranging and re-arranging them, and the joy they brought to him--I hope that #2 will enjoy them as much. For sure, he'll have fun with the case, as he's an enthusiastic woodworker and refinishing it will be right up his alley.
So. Another door closing, sort of, and I sure hope there's an open window out there, cause I'm ready for some fresh air!!