mehitabel's musings

No Explanation...

2012-01-21T21:18:00.001-08:00

DSCN8861, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

necessary!

80 squares ready...

2012-01-16T17:36:00.001-08:00

80 squares ready..., a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

just need to find enough (washed) muslin to cut 4 more and they'll be ready! I'm considering getting 12 baggies and separating them by months; but maybe that's just an extra step. I can bag them when I finish them.

What do you think?

Cutting squares

2012-01-16T17:34:00.001-08:00

Cutting squares, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Next step in the crazy quilt process--getting the base squares cut. I decided on a 10" square, to finish around 9". My compromise between a decent finished size and something I might actually finish this year!

Buttons!

2012-01-12T22:58:00.001-08:00

Buttons!, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Found these when I was waiting in line to get a ball of yarn to finish Delilah's blankie. I will put these on the tie quilts. Most anyone who knew Bob would definitely associate little peppermint candies with him! I wish they had had more--I might have to go back and get the green ones, although red was definitely his favorite!

Just thought they were such a serendipitous find, I couldn't resist! In other news, the ties are now all ripped. On to Phase Two of Operation Tie Quilts.

Moist von Lipwig

2012-01-12T22:56:00.001-08:00

Moist von Lipwig, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Got this month's installment of the Twisted Disc yarn club--it's a gorgeous range of colors and so appropriate for the character! Moist is the (anti)hero of Terry Pratchett's Going Postal and Making Money. He's a con man who gets coerced into running first the Ankh-Morpork Post Office and then its Bank. The gold sparkles in the yarn are an echo of his golden postmaster's outfit--the one with the winged hat.

Okay, so you need to read the book. But only if you like to laugh.

Favorite Tie

2012-01-10T22:24:00.001-08:00

IMG_0275, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

This was Bob's absolute favorite tie. He kept it in its box for a long time and was so proud to show it to me when we first started dating. He wore it at our wedding, too.

He paid a w hole $10 for it--in 1961 that was a lot of money. It has real gold threads in it and came from Woodruff's Men's Store in Alhambra. So this piece of history is definitely going to have pride of place in the tie quilts!

Photographic Conference

2012-01-09T20:18:00.001-08:00

IMG_0259, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

The family shutterbugs compare notes!

Cousins at play

2012-01-09T11:18:00.001-08:00

Cousins at play, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

on Route 66! Waiting for our table for breakfast...celebrating a birthday!

For some reason, this photo is cropped on t he blog--on the far right, if you go to the Flickr page, you'll see that Big G is also in the picture. Not sure why it does that.

I Occupied...

2012-01-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

... Rupe's blog today! You might want to check it out--he's having several friends do "Occupy Rupe's Blog" posts this month, and I found the first two really interesting. Well, BronsonT's was interesting mainly because of the flashbacks to my tax-law-class days, but the info there was quite useful!

Today is devoted to de-holidaying the house. The outside lights are down--thanks, Michael!--the trees are packed up and put away, and so are the holiday houses. I've almost finished washing the holiday linens and they can get packed up for another year. Last thing will be changing out quilts--might have to take a few pics of the new look.

Bead Store Bonanza!

2012-01-06T13:17:00.001-08:00

Bead Store Bonanza!, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

(This is my post for Jan. 5. Computer issues yesterday--only semi resolved today, but at least I could upload pictures today!)

Met up with Yarn Addict Annette and her mom at San Gabriel Bead yesterday, and found some "treasures" for my crazy quilt project. I am especially fond of the variegated rattail--as much as this stuff has driven me nuts in the past, I couldn't resist buying a few yards to couch down on my tie-blocks.

The plastic boxes hold small and medium sized flip-top boxes, which will be perfect for transferring those beads in plastic baggies into. I have very little desire to be chasing beads everywhere.

The buttons are a great find, they're all glass--very appropriate for using with the Glass Man's ties, no? The only problem I'm beginning to see is that there may have to be an entire work station set up for this project, since there are so many parts to it!

More WIPs

2012-01-04T22:03:00.001-08:00

DSCN8857, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

These are ragg quilt squares. They've been batted and cross-stitched and just need to be assembled. There are 110 of them and I'm undecided about how to put them together. Perhaps two 30-block small quilts and one 48-block bigger quilt? They're probably going to be for charity, unless I repurpose one for the little great-granddaughters.

Decisions, decisions. This is why they're still sitting around stacked and ready to sew up!

Things To Do

2012-01-03T22:57:00.001-08:00

DSCN8855, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Part of my collection of WIPs--these are pillowcases that need to be sewn up and French seamed, and then they'll be done. I seem to have a bit of a pillowcase thing going on lately--dunno if that's a good thing, or a bad thing, or just "a thing." Anyway, I'm hoping that soon I can show you a stack of completed pillowcases!

Second Verse...

2012-01-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share some more of the Christmas quilts that have been up during the holidays, since they are all going back into hibernation till next Christmas.

Not quite sure how this is going to work, since the Blogger layout looks a little wonky. However, here's some folk art angel quilts, including the famous "angels in sleeping bags" as on of the cherubs dubbed it.

There[s the wintery trees--this may stay around for a while since it's really more "winter" than "Christmas" like the Snowball Quilt from a previous post. Then there's the flying angels with their gold wings and trumpets.

Pay no attention to the butterfly quilt. That's one of my WIPs and really needs some attention. If I can work on it, you'll soon (I hope) see it as an FO.

That's enough for today. I need to experiment some more with layouts on this thing. You'd think this was my first blog.

Oh wait...

Let the Crazies Begin!

2012-01-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

Button, button--who's got the button? Well... chances are, it's me. Yes, those are jars of buttons up there on top of the bookshelves. Those are some of my quilting and knitting books on the shelves. The silver tins (they seem to be reflecting gold light from somewhere but they're silver colored) also have buttons in them.
More jars of buttons. These are on top of the green Hoosier that used to live in the old kitchen. It's in the process of being repurposed to serve as a craft Hoosier now. The reason for the button pictures is because I'm getting ready to start the Great Crazy Quilt Tie Project... although the name may change several times over the course of the year.
Yes, I did say Ties. As in, tie one on? Ties that bind? How about, a tisket, a tasket, a green laundry basket--full of my husband's old ties. Bob wore one every day that he worked, so for my kids, ties are quintessentially "Daddy." It's been in my plans for a few years now to make a crazy quilt out of the ties--many of them are silk, or at least "silky" stuff, so they'll lend themselves perfectly to the medium.
But, you know how it goes... if I make one quilt out of them, well, who gets it? Can't play favorites, so I guess I need to make... seven quilts. Oh-kay.

Now, look over there on the right sidebar. See that CQJP logo? Well, the challenge this year is to make a block a month, at the end of which there will be 12 blocks. Right. So, if I can make one block, I should be able to make...7? Each month?

Not like I haven't had practice in assembly-line and production sewing. My earliest sewing memories are of helping my mother make doll clothes. No, not for my dolls. She sewed for Peggy-Ann and Totsy, two big producers of doll clothes. She'd get a big box delivered to her, which would have the cut out pieces for anywhere from 20 to 50 dozen doll outfits. There'd be a sample, and whatever trims she'd need to make them--laces, ribbons, rickrack, etc. She had an industrial machine that sewed forward, very fast. No backwards. A ruffler that screwed on, one of those complicated looking gizmos that would ruffle the bottom layer and sew it to the top at the same time. She'd sew the pieces one after the other in huge long chains, and my job was to snip the chains apart to get them ready for the next step.

So, good practice for piecing quilts!

Now, crazy quilts aren't really put together like that. The pieces are odd sized, and they're sort of flopped down in different directions depending on the shape of the pieces. That's why ties, with their kind of skewed cuts, are perfect for this. Here's the plan: I'm going to cut out 84 (or maybe a few extra) pieces of muslin for backing, and then I can put the pieces of ties onto them with the machine. I want to be sure that every quilt has pieces of the same ties. so doing 7 at a time ought to make that a little easier than trying to do 84 all at once. I figure the piecing part should be pretty quick--maybe an afternoon's work for each set of 7. And there's no reason I can't prep more than one set of 7 at a time--depending on how quickly I get the ties dissassembled.

It's the embroidery and trimming that will take longer. Especially since a lot of that will be done by hand. And I haven't figured out yet how to knit and embroider at the same time... so we'll see. Because of course I still want to knit!

This should be an interesting year, especially if things work out the way I'd like them to.

Lastly, here's a bit of eye candy for you! This is a quilt my friend Sandy made for her "other" friend Marie. It's truly a gorgeous thing. Every one of those squares has a different quilting pattern in it. (More pics on my Flickr page, where you can even biggen the pictures to see the details. There are even pics of Sandy with her pugs.)

Time for me to go start picking ties apart. Going to be a good thing to do tomorrow while I watch the Rose Parade on TV!

Blueberries for Sal

2012-01-01T21:28:00.001-08:00

Blueberries for Sal, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Books have always been my idea of a perfect present, so there were books for all four of the little grandkids on Christmas this year. In the midst of all the gift opening, Audrey came to this one, and something about it intrigued her. Her gift unwrapping came to a halt while she went through the whole book, very carefully, then had her mom read it to her from the beginning.

The Snowball quilt on the back of the sofa is one I had made back when I was teaching at the "old" Bearly Stitchin'--the small shop on the corner of Roosevelt. It was the first installment of a Calendar Quilts series, one per month. That was one of my first Tuesday night quilt classes.

I do love hauling out some of my older wall quilts and draping them around. Right now there are 6 "holiday" quilts up. Hmm, idea for another post!

Last Day of the Year

2011-12-31T10:05:00.001-08:00

So, another year gone by and now we've got another one coming at us, ready or not! I woke up this morning thinking about writing this post--and it's hard to think when there are two ferocious catboys trying to get my attention because, yanno, they haven't eaten for hours and hours and they are just starving... yeah. With two feedersful of dry kibble (two different kinds, who's a spoiled darling?) they still want their morning treat of a shared can of wet stuff and as soon as the light begins to change, they think it's time to get it. Then they do what Simon's doing over there ---> and I'm left to get up and start my day.

I've already done my year-end post over on the other blog, which is my sadly-neglected "photo blog" but which I'm hoping to utilize more in the coming year. We'll see how it goes. This past year has certainly not gone the way I thought it would, but as I look back at it, I'm finding that there are some good things that have come out of it. I really need to focus on the positives instead of the negatives--cliched though that sounds. So my health isn't the greatest--at least I'm on "the right side of the dirt." I've been blessed with a loving and supportive family, who really pulled together to get me through the worst parts of this past year. Now to look forward, instead of backward.

There are some plans afoot for the new year. I signed on to a couple of challenges and I'm hoping to use this blog to document them. One is Take a Stitch Tuesday, a stitching challenge, so with any luck on Tuesdays I'll be posting a photo of some kind of stitchery. This is a corollary to my other challenge, the Crazy Quilt one. (There are links to both on the sidebar over there. I just can't see them to link them here right now.)

That one is really the crazy one! The basic idea is to do one crazy quilt block a month, with the end result being 12 blocks by the end of the year--enough to make a nice sized wall hanging. I thought this would tie in nicely to one of my ambitions, which is to make a crazy quilt out of Bob's old ties. One for each of the "kids." So yeah, seven quilts for seven people. Seven blocks a month. I'm already prepping the ties, and tonight I'll probably cut the backing squares for the project. I'm thinking I'll cut the squares either 8.5" or 9" to finish at around 8" each--so 12 squares would make it 24" x 32" before any kind of borders or sashings. I've got a "few" kinds of threads for embroidery, both hand and machine; I'm not going to limit myself to one or the other. My Bernina 1230 has some "fancy" stitches that should work nicely, and I think I can manage some hand work as well. Plus I have lots of bits and bobs of lace, ribbons, buttons, beads... You get the idea. We'll see how it goes in practice, but this is something I've been wanting to do, and the time is right!

The house is beginning to come together--note I said "beginning." The bittersweet part of this is that I'm really needing to get the house ready to sell, and to make some hard decisions about where I want to move to and what kind of life I want to live. You can look forward to some musings on that topic as I explore alternatives this year.

Physical improvement is also on my agenda. I was doing really well after the surgery in April--managed to lose 10 lbs. It's easy enough to do when someone else is going to the market: give them a list, make sure it's all the good stuff and then just eat the good stuff. Of course, once I could start doing a little more of my own marketing, that went right down the tubes. Those 10 lbs have found me again and plopped themselves right where I least want them! But, they need to leave, along with a few dozen more of their friends. Dr. B keeps telling me that there's nothing more to be done for my left knee, other than replacing it. Well, I'm not going into a knee replacement at this weight. (I don't want to do it at all, but that's another story.) I'm sure the neuropathy in my feet would also be helped by not having to lug around all this extra avoirdupoids. And, I'm trying to exercise a little more too. I got a Fitbit and have been wearing it and I think, starting tomorrow, I'll try logging my food as well as letting it record my steps.

This post is long enough, and if you've stuck to it this far, I'm sure you're ready for me to wish you a happy new year and all the best as it comes roaring around the corner at us. Should be an interesting one, at least!

Audrey at Tea

2011-11-21T15:54:00.001-08:00

Audrey at Tea, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Took the girls to the Huntington Tea Room for our "annual" birthday tea. A yummy time was had by all. This year we had a special guest--Auntie Jennie was here!

Wild Lettuce blocking

2011-11-05T18:29:00.001-07:00

Wild Lettuce blocking, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

An actual finished object...the Wild Lettuce shawl, pattern by Fickle Knitter and yarn from Little Red Bicycle. The color isn't quite true: in real life it's a very vivid limey green. Hoping it dries in time to wear it to the Fiber Festival in Torrance!

Carpinteria

2011-10-03T21:31:00.001-07:00

Carpinteria, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Walking down the "main drag" in Carpinteria, we saw t his wonderful bougainvillea glowing in the sun. It was a gorgeous day for the beach!

Cousins at The Boat

2011-09-12T23:37:00.001-07:00

Cousins at The Boat, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Mini-reunion this past weekend, with the "little" cousins getting together with their "big" cousins! L-R, Abby (age 1 1/2), Nate (3), Audrey (3), Garrett (5), Casey, John, Alyssa and Gordon.

Now that John and Casey are living semi-locally, we're getting to see them more often. It was nice to have Alyssa and Gordon visiting from the east coast. This was Gordon's first visit here so he got to experience a lot of new things!

Little boy, big pig!

2011-08-20T19:24:00.001-07:00

That's a big pig!, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Naters checking out his "year of" animal at the LACMA exhibit--http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/ai-weiwei-circle-animalszodiac-heads

Pretty darn cute!

A Special Quilt

2011-08-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

Time for a little photo essay here! These darling people are Pete and Marietta, who have been married for--hold on--64 years, and whom I've known for probably 20 or more. The number of quilts Marietta's made is pretty staggering, especially considering some of the physical challenges she's faced over the years.

Growing older is not for sissies.

The latest threat to her quilting productivity is a big one: she's losing her eyesight to macular degeneration. Enter Pete, who's always been interested in the whole process of quilting--he's an engineer, and has enjoyed learning about all the machines and the mechanics of putting a quilt together, but never felt any need to actually make a quilt himself.

But their grandson is starting college this month, at USC--aka the University of Southern California, which is pretty well known, at least in this part of the world. He needs a quilt to take to college, preferably one that showcases his school, right? Right. So a collaborative effort on the part of the grandparents is making sure he's going to get one. So Grandpa Pete has taught himself how to actually use a sewing machine.

This is one of those "takes a village" quilts--cooperation at a couple of different quilt shops, and lots of determination on the part of the quilters. After several weeks of piecing and sewing, this past Tuesday night the quilt top was completed and has been consigned to the quilt-by-check person. (You know what I mean--the age-old question of hand-or-machine quilting has had a new dimension added to it--now, quilting by check is another option!)

Here's hoping Grandson enjoys his quilt when he gets it!

Starting Early

2011-05-15T19:10:00.001-07:00

05-2011 001, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Abby has found some of my more accessible yarn stash, and loves to carry it around, rub it on her face, snuggle with it, and pet it. I guess I'm getting her hooked young!

Simon, napping

2011-05-01T23:48:00.001-07:00

Simon, napping, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

... on the Lone Star quilt. This one has a braided border made of scraps; the quilt itself is very scrappy!

I'm Riding!

2011-05-01T23:46:00.001-07:00

I'm Riding!, a photo by marie watterlond on Flickr.

Abby and her dad with Sister's bike. She was so thrilled to make it move!

Back In Action...

2011-04-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

...sort of! Yes, that's meant to be a pun: my back has been repaired and I've spent the last two weeks being very very good (or at least trying to) in order to give it time to heal. Today was Easter Sunday and only my second time out away from my comfy chair. The back did beautifully. The knee, however, did not.

I think the warranty on my "parts" has expired.

The knee is an ongoing issue and its pain level is exacerbated by my having to be off ibuprofen for an extended period of time. That's because it supposedly interferes with the healing of the bone grafts in my spine, and of course we want those to take. I did spend a lot more time standing around today than I normally do, so this is to be expected.

It was, however, quite worth it. D4 and E picked me up and we trekked out to D3's where we were greeted by a pair of adorable boys. N8 is really into trains, and there were a couple of new ones in his basket this morning. The bunny also left a coloring book and "magic" pens for G, who can sit and color for an hour or two in total concentration. We had a lovely dinner of baked ham, potato salad (D4 has picked up the potato-salad torch and is carrying it extremely well), deviled eggs and roasted asparagus. D3 had made macaroons, and D4 made adorable cupcakes. I'll try to gank photos to post here--I didn't bring my camera with me, sadly.

So, this is me, once again here, and I'll be trying to post more often. Right now I'm trying to get the knee to stop cursing at me (wouldn't you think being wrapped in a nice warm heating pad would soothe it? Yeah, not so much.) and settle in.

Still Here!

2011-04-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Wow--it's been quite a while since I posted. Guess that's what happens when a person gets attacked by her own back. Yes, I've been down for the count for the last almost-month, 4 weeks today of pain and misery. However it's getting fixed on Monday, so I'm hopeful for good results and am anticipating being back to whatever passes for normal with me soon!

Just wanted to update a couple of things here. First, Entangled magazine is ready for a free preview. Do check it out. It's from Genny Stevens in NZ and I think she's done a smashing job with it!

If you've been following the story of the Great American Afghan raffle to benefit XRX's Sue Nelson, there's an update here. Angela, who won the raffle, is one of my Ravelry and Facebook friends, and I love what she decided to do. I also love that there was such wonderful cooperation and concern all across the knitting community--the nice people at Vogue Knitting helped spread the word and support the project. I have to admit I got a little teary-eyed reading Ben's post.

If I can sit up at the computer a bit later, I do have some "crafty" goodness to share. I did a project for a swap on Ravelry and documented the process, and I've been meaning to post about it. Right now I have a date with a cup of coffee and a couple of hot chocolate croissants!

You CAN Help!

2011-02-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

From my friend Liz Smith:

A little advertising...The gorgeous Ms Genny Stevens is donating 100% of the profits from her amazing Tiki Mittens pattern to the Red Cross in Canterbury, NZ, to help the folks out there who got a bit shook up yesterday...The mittens are gorgeous, it's for a good cause, and NZ $5 is like 40 cents in Real Money ;) SO HURRY UP & GO BUY... THEM EVERYBODY!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tiki-mittens

Ravelry - a knit and crochet community

www.ravelry.com

Ravelry is a community site, an organizational tool, and a yarn & pattern database for knitters and crocheters.

The Process Pledge

2011-02-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

Today I got a comment on an older post (the one with Baby J's quilt) and tracking back the commenter, I found Rossie's blog and her post on The Process Pledge. It was an intriguing idea, and since I've been working at getting back into quilting more I think it was a serendipitous find.

Here's Rossie's original prompts:

I’ve made a list of prompts to get some process posts going. I will continue to update these prompts as time goes on, based on what I see in blogs, ideas that are submitted to me by email, and also in the comments.

Do you have any new sketches to show?
Is this design inspired by a past quilt or someone else's quilt you saw (link, please)?
Does the color palette come from somewhere specific?
Are you trying to evoke a specific feeling?
Is this quilt intended for a specific person? How did that inform your choices?
Are you following a pattern, emulating a block you saw somewhere, using a liberated process, or totally winging it?
What are you hating about this quilt at this stage? What do you love?
Did you push yourself to try something new?
In working on the quilt, are you getting ideas about what you might want to try next? What? Did you sketch it?

So here we go. I'm hoping that, over the next few days, I can document some of my quilts-in-progress as well as some of my knits-in-progress, and get some posting done as well. (Alas, yes, poor blog has been neglected but maybe I can rectify that!)

As always, there will be way more photos on the Flickr page than I'll put in the blog, so do click through--especially if you also want to see cute babies, cats, flowers and sunsets and all the other things that appeal to my magpie mind!

Cousins!

2011-02-13T20:36:00.001-08:00

IMG_7986
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Abby's birthday is Valentine's Day, so her party was today. She's sitting on her gift from her auntie and uncle--this wheeled conveyance has lights, music, twirling princesses, a keyboard, in short anything and everything required to be a wonderful toy! She's testing out the features with a little help from her cousin, who was riding it a few minutes before.
(His T-shirt has photos of the Beatles and says, All you need is love.)

Frosting Face!

2011-02-06T22:09:00.001-08:00

Frosting Face!
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Audrey, enjoying a cupcake at Auntie Meg's birthday dinner.

A Quilt for Baby J

2011-01-25T22:46:00.001-08:00

IMG_7912
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

My knit group is having a baby shower tomorrow for one of our members who recently adopted a little boy. I finished up this quilt and found a cute little tote bag to put it in, all ready to present to her.

Ragg quilts are great "play" quilts, and this one is also light enough to use for wrapping up baby. The colors are nice and vibrant, and it's been "Abby-certified" and approved.

Here's hoping Baby J and his mama will love it too!

Ready to clip

2011-01-21T22:35:00.001-08:00

Ready to clip
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

One of the two ragg quilts, ready to be clipped then washed and dried and washed and dried and washed and dried...

I wasn't quite sure how to put the colors together so they'd be at least harmonious, but I think I'm pretty happy with this arrangement. The checked squares really stand out a lot more than I thought they would, but this arrangement seems fairly balanced to me.

And yes, I did make "twins" out of the two sets of blocks, figuring that if the quilts weren't a good size they could always be joined into one big one. I think this size will work well for a baby/toddler/little kid quilt, though!

Supervising

2011-01-21T22:31:00.001-08:00

Supervising
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

The other part of the supervisory team. Simon wants to be sure he's up close enough to see that I'm doing it right!

"Step" Cat

2011-01-21T22:29:00.001-08:00

"Step" Cat
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Hi-Hi, watching me sew. Sitting on this step puts him just above my eye level when I'm sitting at the machine.

Cruisin'

2011-01-17T10:26:00.001-08:00

IMG_7887
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

A boy and his new birthday bike. Yes, bike--two wheels (plus outriggers!) cause now that he's 3, he can keep up with the big guys!

First Pies!

2011-01-15T20:36:00.001-08:00

IMG_7880
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

My Xmas present from The Daughters was this "personal pie" baker. Cranked it up tonight and voila! Four little cranberry-apple pies. They only bake for about 8-10 minutes, and it takes just a little longer than that to prep them. Might need to do this more often.

Thinking of mini-tourtieres, for instance, since there aren't too many of us who really eat it. Or any time I have a pie craving.

The jar of TJ's apple-cranberry filling (which is VERY sweet) is probably enough to make a dozen of these little beauties. Yum!

Birthday Boy with Dinocake

2011-01-15T20:07:00.001-08:00

Birthday Boy with Dinocake
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

People were singing to him! One thing our family is known for is the awful way we sing "Happy Birthday." This was just another outing for the Off-Key Chorale!

But he did manage to blow out his candle, so I guess he can turn 3 now!

Audrey

2011-01-15T20:05:00.001-08:00

Audrey
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Checking out the action at her cousin's birthday party.

The First 16-Patch

2011-01-13T22:31:00.001-08:00

IMG_7841
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

...is done. Just needs to be pressed. I think what will happen is t hat there will be "trails" across the top of the quilt, since the blocks will form chains in both directions.

The darker purple fabric is actually quite shaded--you can almost tell in this picture--with lighter and darker areas. It's a McKenna Ryan print, and it has a quote about faith on it. Ought to be interesting when it's a whole top!

Right now, all the pink 4-patches are sewn together. The purples are still 2-patches, but I had to put one block together just to see if it would look the way I imagined it would.

It does.

Progress!

2011-01-11T22:43:00.001-08:00

IMG_7835
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

My pink and lavender quilt blocks are coming right along. The 6 "picture" blocks have been bordered on two sides, to bring them up to 12 1/2". I did two sides because they were already pretty close to the size I wanted, and putting borders on 4 sides would have made them look silly. So two it was. It will give it a bit of an "attic window" look.

They're laying across 300 2-patches, which will next get sewn into 150 4-patches, which will then become 32 16-patches. Not quite sure how many quilts this will translate to, or if they'll all be used in one quilt. That's to decide later on.

In the back you can see t he flannel squares, ready to be sewn into rag quilts. Oh yes, I do plan to stay busy at the machine! In all of my copious free time.

Birthday Cake

2011-01-08T23:59:00.001-08:00

IMG_7801
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

When it's a BIG birthday, it calls for a BIG party! I'll post more pictures (or you can check my Flickr page via that badge over there), but here's one of the cake and some yummy lemon cookies...

Dancey Dance

2011-01-08T11:06:00.001-08:00

IMG_7788
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

This is the companion print to all those 4-patches I'm making--the square can be brought up to 12 1/2"" and then it will match up. There are 6 of them, conveniently.

Also today you should check out my cyberfriend Amy's blog: http://dyedinthewool.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/birthday-contest/ just for fun, and maybe to enter her contest, too!

Playtime!

2011-01-07T20:37:00.001-08:00

IMG_7789
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

A quick shot of Abby, playing busily. She's really good at playing by herself, likes to have someone nearby but doesn't really require a lot of "attention." She does like having her picture taken! I took a short video of her and she was fascinated watching it play back inside the camera.

What?

2011-01-06T22:54:00.001-08:00

IMG_7784
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Who doesn't appreciate a little help of the feline persuasion? Simon thinks he needs to supervise my quilting. (He's supervising my typing right now, or at least warming my keyboard.)

These are 3 1/2" strips--25 each of a pink "dance" print, a lavender "dance" print, a cream-and-pink small floral, and a lavender print. They're going to become 6 1/2" four-patches, which will then be sewn into 12 1/2" blocks. I'm hoping I can get 25 of the large blocks out of these strips, and they'll then be added to 6 more 12 1/2" blocks--which have ballerinas printed on them--to make a 5 x 6 block quilt top. We'll see if (with Simon's help, of course) I can get that many blocks out of the strips!

Cinnamon Roll

2011-01-05T23:22:00.001-08:00

Cinnamon Roll
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

For breakfast. Coffeemaker set up, this is waiting. Incentive to get up?

A Cutting Table!

2011-01-03T23:44:00.001-08:00

IMG_7770
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Well, okay, so it's my kitchen island. It's a perfect height for cutting on!

Today I had a minor brainstorm and sewed together all the leftover fabric pieces from the flannel squares, and managed to get another 22 blocks out of it. Of course that meant I also had to cut 22 more squares of batting, but now it's all done and ready to sew.

Once the decorations come down from the bar--I'm thinking Wed. night might work for that--then I'll be able to cut on the bar instead of walking around to the kitchen. Looks like my "dream" of a real sewing room is inching closer and closer to reality!

What's Under There?

2011-01-02T22:59:00.001-08:00

2011.1.2 003
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Simon would like to know if I'm keeping anything interesting for cats under there. He was fascinated with the sewing machine--it's been a while since I've been able to set it up and actually sew at home, and his little cat brain doesn't remember much except his last feeding. Which he ALWAYS thinks was days or weeks ago.

So today I was able to finish clearing off the table in the back room, and set up the sewing machine. I've been cutting squares of flannel and leftover batting so I had a project ready to go. By the time I quit for the night, I had 88 squares layered and ready to lay out to piece together.

I was shocked at how my skills have deteriorated, and I'm sure hoping I can get them back up to par! It's not a question of not knowing what to do--I know how, but the muscle memory that made it so smooth and almost effortless has gone kaput.

Doesn't help when someone--even a little someone--keeps sitting on the squares!

Looking through the window

2011-01-01T23:53:00.001-08:00

IMG_7756
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

...in my back door. There's the deck, and a glimpse of the camellia bush. It's been more or less happily living with a deck built around it for the last 27 years--and it still blooms.

There's a closeup of this flower on my Flickr page and on my picture blog. I was mentally composing a very thoughtful post about this tough little bush, and how I really need to learn from it. All that "bloom where you're planted" stuff--you know how it goes.

Then my internet went out, and now I've only got the "wild wifi" that the laptop can catch, at least until Tuesday when my phone company will supposedly be out to fix it. To which I will only say that spending 65 minutes on the phone either holding for tech support, or trying to talk to tech support, can sap the will to live of even the strongest of souls. And mine's already pretty beaten down.

But I'm resilient. It's a new year, and I'm getting this post in just before the end of the day, so hope springs eternal.

And my camellias are blooming, so there's that.

Something Finished!!

2010-12-12T15:25:00.001-08:00

IMG_7705
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Yes... it's my long-in-progress Central Park Hoodie, finally done and being worn by its intended recipient, Meg, aka D4. There's actually been a rash of finishing here so look for a couple of other pictures--two sweaters are done except for buttons!

Monkey see...

2010-10-24T22:44:00.001-07:00

IMG_7605
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Abbymonkey getting used to having a big soft tummy...

What? What?

2010-10-16T13:29:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by theleming

Love this picture--thanks, Court! The hats are from Auntie Foosh (aka D1) and Abby is demonstrating to Audrey the "down side" of having a mobile little sister!

Determination!

2010-10-12T00:00:00.001-07:00

IMG_7578
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Today was a play date at Grandma's, which allowed lots of room for scooting, sliding, and yes, crawling. I didn't think anything of it when she was up on all fours and actually crawling--she was so close last Friday, I just figured she'd mastered it over the weekend.

Nope. After she and mom got home, I got a text message asking what I'd done since she's now full-on crawling! One of those kind of double-edged milestones: now she's mobile, which means keep an eye on her!

There are a couple more pics on my Flickr page for today, including one that shows her sharp little teeth--yes, she bites! But she's so cute and so sweet, we can't get too upset with her!

Rockin' Good Time

2010-10-09T20:57:00.001-07:00

IMG_7574
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

..except he kept saying he was bouncing. He really likes that chair!

Play Ball!!

2010-10-08T23:15:00.001-07:00

10-2010 001
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Whose favorite team? Well, here's a hint: the man is riding a bicycle 200 miles on Saturday, the THIRD time he's done it this year!

He also believes in indoctrinating fans young...

Joy!

2010-10-07T22:27:00.001-07:00

IMG_7564
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

A little bit blurry--but she's hardly ever still, and the camera is once again refusing to take pictures unless the flash is turned off. The longer exposure time means there's a split-second more for someone to move.

And move she does!

Tree and Arbor Wrap

2010-10-04T23:11:00.001-07:00

IMG_7545
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

This is a project for a KAL on Rav--it's a FickleKnitter design, and the yarn is Alpha B's Sexy B in Escapade. The yarn is soft and wonderful and the shaded purples are lovely.

Not that you can tell from this craptastic photo, however. Camera is giving me fits (yet again) and I think it's time to take it shopping for its replacement. When I've done that in the past, it shapes up and behaves. Let's see if that still works!

Another Day...

2010-10-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

...another post. Don't really have a picture to post today, since today's activities were anything but photogenic. Let's just say, two women sweating and (maybe a little swearing too) moving boxes and bins and "stuff" around are not a pretty sight. Even though D5 was wearing her really nice jeans.

After the massive renovations a couple of years ago, there have been some boxes left over that were still packed--using the term loosely as the "packers" were more like "let's see how much damage we can do shoving stuff in boxes" kind of guys. So today we tackled a few of them.

I still don't have a "real" plan in mind as to what I want to do with myself, but I do know that whatever future I have, this house needs to be lightened of "stuff." So things in boxes need to go. There's going to be a yard sale--kind of a Giant Antiques, Collectibles, and Stuff Sale. As hard as it is to part with some things, it's too hard to keep on hanging on to them.

Now, please excuse me while I go read the next chapter of Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? Gotta love Peter Walsh!

Six Years

2010-10-02T19:11:00.001-07:00

Playtime!

2010-10-01T23:46:00.001-07:00

Playtime!
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Someone's very very close to crawling--she actually did a couple of times today. She's definitely full of beans!

I thought this would be an appropriate photo for my first "play" blog post of the month! Kind of squeaking under the wire, time-wise, but it all counts. (Right?)

Li'l Miss Happyface

2010-09-30T20:35:00.001-07:00

IMG_7514
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Abby loves to be talked to, and she's beginning to "talk" back. She has a habit of smiling and grinning as soon as the camera's done clicking!

Abby's Baptism

2010-09-30T16:45:00.001-07:00

IMG_7483
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Abby with her parents and godparents--and, of course, sister Audrey! It was a lovely day and a nice ceremony to welcome her into our Catholic community!

Mad Sippycup Skillz!

2010-09-15T18:25:00.001-07:00

Mad Sippycup Skillz!
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Abby can hold her own sippycup, drink from it, swing it around, and have another swallow. She doesn't want help, either!

Remembering

2010-09-06T20:17:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

It doesn't seem like 5 years have gone by.

Another Birthday

2010-08-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

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Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Today (8-8) would have been my dad's 94th birthday. He didn't quite make it--my father-in-law passed away on his 94th--but all he had cared about was living to be older than his mother. And that he succeeded in doing!

So, kind of a bittersweet day today, remembering the "old days" and the good past times. I sure hope he and Ma are having a good time together again!

A Last Goodbye

2010-07-04T14:00:00.001-07:00

Family visit
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

This was taken on my last visit with my Dad, on June 18. He passed away peacefully on June 30.

Vaya con dios, Dad. You will be missed, and long remembered.

My Accomplishment!

2010-07-04T13:54:00.001-07:00

My Accomplishment!
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

From Dear Jane at Asilomar: the blue and white ones are mine. This is what I have to show for a week of concentrated effort! 6 blocks and 3 triangles--plus I have 4-5 more blocks in partial stages of completion. Jane A. Stickle was very fond of appliqueing melons, apparently!

Apple Farm

2010-06-26T22:21:00.001-07:00

Apple Farm
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Lunch stop, on the way to Asilomar. Staying in Santa Cruz for the night, then tomorrow off to Carmel and Pacific Grove. Mass @ Holy Cross church, which is also home to Mission Santa Cruz.

Pea Pod Baby

2010-06-25T19:39:00.001-07:00

2010.06 001
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Abby loves to be talked to! Today she was in a very mellow mood, although she didn't have much to "say."

Family visit

2010-06-19T07:34:00.001-07:00

Family visit
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Visiting with my dad at the Soldiers Home. And yes, I will be starting my diet right away!

Graduation!

2010-06-17T19:48:00.001-07:00

Brian, Kristin, Marian
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Mom and kids. Brian is now a junior so in two years we'll repeat this scene! Way to go, Kristin! We're so proud and happy for you! Your dad would be thrilled and delighted too. (I'm sure he and your Grandpa Bob are up there cheering you on!)

After a Long Night of Knitting...

2010-06-06T21:27:00.001-07:00

After a Long Night of Knitting...
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

... I could still manage a smile! I did it! 10 pm to 8am, knitting and rocking to raise money for a cure!

Belle Nuit, with Fur

2010-06-02T22:25:00.001-07:00

Belle Nuit, with Fur
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Had a photo shoot on some of my current WIPs tonight. Hi-Hi was helping out. The blue beads are actually part of the shawl; the green ones are stitch markers.

More pictures of yarny goodness (and catly beauty) on my Flickr page. I seem to be suffering from terminal tiredness today (for no good reason) so this is it. Hey, it's a post, right?

Smile!

2010-06-01T22:26:00.001-07:00

Smile!
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Abby's learning to smile for the camera--or for Grandma, who's behind the camera.

Yes, this blog is still alive. I'm not committing to NaBloPoMo, but I am going to try to post more regularly.

But this is all you're getting today. More Abigail cuteness on my Flickr page--linky's over there!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-03-02T10:06:00.001-08:00

wedding pic
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Forty seven years ago!

Happy Birthday!

2010-03-01T21:00:00.001-08:00

IMG_6752
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

A toast to Robert on his birthday. Remembering the good times and wishing things could have been different.

My blue suede shoes

2010-02-21T18:20:00.001-08:00

My blue suede shoes
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Went on a shoe-shopping spree and this is one of the pairs I got. I also got the same style in a light beige. I haven't had new shoes, with one exception, since I got back from my trip to France--in 2007! So it was high time.

The one exception was the pair of New Balances with the oversized laces--the ones that got caught in the screen door and tripped me up! Yes, I'm still trying to recover from that fall--haven't worn those shoes since. I'm mad at them!

Anyway, I took a little trip down to the outlet mall at Lake Elsinore, and found the Naturalizer outlet. Oh my. Shoes with Dr. Scholl's gel insoles and extra heel padding! My feet are almost happy!

First Family Portrait

2010-02-15T21:00:00.001-08:00

First Family Portrait
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

The whole new family--mom, dad, Audrey and Abigail.

Smile!

2010-02-15T12:46:00.001-08:00

Smile!
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

When you can't go to the hospital to see Mom and new baby sister, at least you can check her out on line, right?

New Baby

2010-02-15T01:32:00.001-08:00

New Baby
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

Meet my newest granddaughter! She doesn't have a name yet, but we'll find out soon what it is. She was born on Valentine's Day, weighs 7 lbs 11 oz, and she and Mom and Dad are all doing well. We'll find out pretty soon what Li'l Missy thinks of her Li'l Sissy!

View from Upstairs

2010-01-03T21:47:00.001-08:00

View from Upstairs
Originally uploaded by marie watterlond

This is a test, to see how well Flickr and Blogger talk to each other! I like the idea of being able to blog without having to upload photos from my computer (lazy much?) but I think the down side is that I can only do one per entry.

Of course, that does mean that the entry is started, and from there I can edit it to add more photos. Hmmm... Blog more often, maybe?

We'll see how it works out!

Candle glow...

2009-12-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

...after it's all over, time at last to relax and savor the memories. I think it was a good Christmas, I hope that everyone else did too!

Now it's time to start thinking ahead for new goals and resolutions for the new year. If I've learned one thing in my (many) years on earth, it's that the best-laid plans are the ones that go the most wrong! Doesn't stop me, though.

Once I get my thoughts in order, I'll share them here. It's a good way to hold myself accountable! I've already got a couple of things percolating--Project 365, the Knitting Olympics, the 10 Shawls in 2010 project--as well as continuing to work on the house.

If I don't get back here to say it, happy New Year to you!

Deck the Halls...

2009-12-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

...and walls, and every other surface that will allow it! Not much done so far, but here's the beginning:

The Great Wall of Rubbermaid has been reconstructed! This is 6 trips from the storage unit; doesn't include the trees, which are currently out on the front porch, or some of the Village houses, but you can get the general idea. Yes, there is such a thing as excess.

Although I don't think Susan would think I'm excessive!

Christmas mugs are fun. Yes, there are a lot of these; I probably won't be keeping every one of them, because I have others that I like better. But they will definitely have to go to good homes.

I think.

Then there's the feather-tree quilts. I made these little guys many many years ago; they are trimmed with buttons, many of which came from my mother's button box. Yes, there are two; they look very similar, but one is more muted colors and has more vintage buttons. The other has a brighter red and more of the "new" buttons I've collected over the years.

There are pictures of both of them on my Flickr page if you want to compare.

I have a couple more Christmassy quilts, which are still among the "missing." I can't tell if they are in the Great Wall or not, but it doesn't look like it. I'm sure they are here somewhere, because they were out last year.

More updates as we make more progress. The manger scene has now been set up; the Baby Jesus is hidden away (he comes out at midnight on Christmas Eve) and the Wise Guys have started their trek, although right now they are on the mantel, clear across the room. (They will arrive on Epiphany, unless we just can't stand it any longer!)

Just a Drive-By

2009-12-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

Or, aaahhh-chooooo! Still not sure if this is allergy or infection, or some of both, but whatever it is, it can go away already.

But it's December, and somewhere there is ice and snow and real winter weather. Here, well, we had a little rain the other day, and it left a dusting of powder on top of the mountains, and snarled traffic, and we had Severe Weather Warnings. Because, you know, we got a whole inch and a half. Yes, 1.5" of rain.

There is more due this weekend, and I think its major purpose will be to mess with my plans to get the holiday decorations out. But we'll see.

In the meantime, I am busily working on Christmas gift knitting. I have a rather ambitious project--don't tell on me, in case I don't make it, okay?--of making hats for all the grands. With the great-grand, and the grand-in-law, that's a total of 14. I'm plugging away at it, and making progress.

Look, I even did this: that's me with my knitting, in front of the MGM lion, in the lobby of the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Who else do you know who goes to Vegas to knit?

Well, knit, and spend time with the daughters, and cuddle the great-grandbaby too. This was not my first trip to Vegas, but it was the first time I've stayed in one of the big hotels on the Strip.

It was an experience.

But I didn't gamble. Some things never change!

In Celebration of Standard Time!

2009-11-01T10:10:00.001-08:00

Presenting a couple of cute critters that were encountered last night:

a ladybug clutching her sippy cup and eating pizza;

and a rather unhappy dinosaur. He doesn't like things on his head, and his expression clearly states: You can make me look adorable, but I don't have to like it!

More cuteness--and some actual smiles...on my Flickr page. Click on the badge over there!

Would you believe I have actually been knitting, and even finished a couple of things?

Here's the proof: Argosy scarf, in four colorways of Mmmmalabrigo Merino Worsted. That's Lime Blue, Apple Green, Curacao and Lettuce.

Of course it doesn't take a full skein of each to make the scarf, so I've been making hats out of the remainders.

See that? There's the Lettuce one, all done. As I write this, the Apple Green is a little over halfway to the top decreases.

Not sure if I'll keep using the same pattern--it's quick and easy. It's the Boy Hat which I found on Ravelry. Easy enough that I was able to copy the directions onto 2 post-its. Because, of course, my printer is still among the missing.

One of those projects for a cool weekend. Apparently, the Universe does not want me grubbing in the garage, since we've had nothing but hot and miserable weekends.

Sigh. I believe in winter. I do believe, I do believe...but the proof is not here.

Anyway, this little hat is not really meant to have a turned-up brim; I posed it on top of a little basket at the quilt shop, and had to roll it to make it stand up.

However, since I'm a bit of a pinhead, I have to roll it on my head, too.

Have I mentioned that Mmmmmalabrigo is soft and squishy and feels nice and warm?? It's also loosely spun, so there's a thick-and-thin quality that makes it look very rustic.

And lastly, here's an FO that I for one never quite believed in--yes, the Paris Scarf is finished!

Well, except for running a couple of tails in, and giving it a good wash and block. After all, it's been all over: on airplanes, trains, buses and cars; in France, and New England, and up at Asilomar; not to mention innumerable coffee shops and other knitting venues!

It's also been on more needles than is reasonable for anything that's this (relatively) simple: the original set, Bryspuns, fell apart on the TGV between Nice and Avignon, and were replaced by some that a French shopkeeper found in the depths of her stockroom. Those were kind of skanky aluminum, but needs must when the devil drives sort of thing, you know? Once I got back to the Land of Multiple Needles, I tried it on Options--too slick; bamboo--too sticky; an old Balene--perfect needles, horrible elderly cable that wouldn't play well with me. Sigh. Then I bought a set of Zephyrs, and oh my, they are perfect for Sea Silk! I've also moved Birch onto them and they are perfect with Kid Silk Haze, too. (Not so good with Mmmmalabrigo; the Options are working much better!)

Now, if you will excuse me, I have a hat, and some baby sweaters, and a few other projects to go work on.

And can I just say how very happy I am to be back on Standard Time? It was so nice to wake up this morning to sunshine and the knowledge that the day wasn't already half gone! Tomorrow will be the test: on a workday, having a little extra sleep time is a real blessing!

Where do I sign the petition to abolish hateful nasty Daylight Saving Time??

Random Musings

2009-10-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

Decided to take a little break yesterday, since I got off work early, and went to Antique Row in downtown (or is it Old Town?) Pomona. Hadn't been for a long time, and I've been a little curious about how the antique business was doing during the economic downturn.

While walking over to the main "malls" I spotted this interesting building. It's one of the old brick buildings that line that street, and it's apparently in the process of renovation. I was amused and amazed by this treatment of the building--it looks like an overlay of smooth stucco has been applied to parts of the building, so that it looks as if it's emerging from a shell. A candy shell--like a Jordan almond--was what it made me think of.

Looking down the street there's another building getting the same treatment.

I'm so glad to see these wonderful old buildings being restored and recreated! Now I'll have to make a point of going back a few more times to check on progress, and see what's going to be going in there.

The whole street was pretty lively for noon on a Friday afternoon. There were a number of people in the different malls, and I overheard a couple of calls that were apparently buyers asking to reserve particular items. Most of the shops in the one building I really toured (it used to be Robbins Antique Mart, now it's just "Antique Mart" with a big blank on the sign where Robbins used to be) were having sales, which is par for the course especially this time of year. I know there were certain dealers who always had sales, back when Bob and I used to go for a Saturday or Sunday outing. They'd mark their prices way up and then discount them to the "normal" asking prices.

Hot buttered muffins for breakfast today. I've been looking at the raisins and wishing for something with raisins in. Earlier this week I made (and eventually ate) gingerbread with raisins in it--sooo good!

So muffins were the next thing. They did hit the spot, too.

Looking at my "new" Fiesta reminded me of the dealer in Pomona (or as my son-in-law says, "P-town") who had a whole double display case of original Fiestaware. I'm glad to see that the re-issuance (in lead- and cobalt-free glazes) doesn't seem to have hurt the market for the originals. He had some lovely stuff. There was a set of 8 ivory cream soup bowls that I could easily covet. At $40/each, however, covet is all I will do! I'll keep using my all-purpose bowls, thanks!

The new yarn is from a swappypack I received this week, from CyberFiber on Ravelry (who is also my Facebook friend Elizabeth). Although swaps tend to sometimes get mired in drama, the RR swaps have so far been pretty drama-free. I did this swap, as well as a Magic Yarn Ball swap, and I'm signed up for a Books and Yarn swap. The idea of that one is to pick a book (or two depending on whether they're paper or hardbound, new or used) and yarn to go with the theme.

I've got an interesting partner, and I'm looking forward to putting together a really amusing package for her.

The last picture is the contents of my swappypack spread out for maximum viewing. There are also more pictures on my Flickr page if you want to see the stitch markers or granny-square earrings or other goodies up close.

Yes, that is a "cattle-pult." Did I mention this was a "shop local" swap? That's why my yarn came from Indiana, which apparently has cows too. All I remember from driving through it is many many cornfields, rush hour traffic in Indianapolis, and the sign that said "Do not spit on the monument." Obviously there is much much more!

And now I must go find my super-glue and do a little surgery on the Shun Giraffe, who had an unfortunate accident on the way. Maybe he just lost his head from the yarn fumes...

Now...it's really mine!

2009-08-11T15:03:00.001-07:00

But, of course, today Firefox and Blogger are not playing nicely, so first you'll need to enjoy the glory of the crape myrtle tree!

It really is a lovely vivid color, glows in almost every kind of light. So naturally, when I try to take a picture, what you see is the haze in the air.

The thing about crape myrtles is that the little devils put out a nice very very ultra-fine mist. The particles are so small that you can't really see them with the naked eye, but the camera catches the refraction of the sunlight and makes the picture look hazy.

So, really, not bad photography, just very interesting.

Oh, this does show up on any car that is parked under the tree for any length of time. Yes, that means my new car too. Since the best place for me to park just happens to be directly under the tree, well, I guess Kiwi needs to take its chances.

Besides, a light dusting of pollen and hot pink blossoms looks really nice on a kiwi green car!

What I mean about it really being mine now is that my new Glornak sticker came today. That was the one thing that really made me sad about trading in the Purple People Mover--I couldn't get the sticker to come off.

Not to worry, the Sheldon Store had more. And they ship super fast, too.

After spending almost all day Friday, and most of t he weekend, hunting for the original pink slip (title) for the Ford, I gave up. Today I went to the Auto Club and ordered a duplicate. I also changed the insurance policy to reflect the new vehicle.

Cleaning out the files has been rather cathartic, and the shredder has been quite busy. I think there are at least 10 bags of shreddies going out on the curb tonight. Well, they're in trash cans, but they're going. I'm still frustrated that an important paper could get mislaid. I'm sure it will turn up. Eventually.

So that's been the story around here. Knitting and crocheting have taken a back seat to paperwork, and even now I'm blogging instead of doing what I really came onto the computer for today, which is checking on my bank account to see what I've paid and what I haven't. I'm really amazed that my credit score came back as good as it did, considering my rather haphazard approach to record-keeping and bill-paying lately. (It was good enough to get me 0% financing on the new Kiwi. That's pretty good!)

Hopefully I can get out of Paperwork Hell soon and return this blog to tales from the yarning and quilting side of life. I sure hope so!!

No Pictures Today

2009-08-08T09:26:00.001-07:00

Well, I have been trying to upload pictures for the last few days, and every time I try, I get a half hour of "working" messages and then it either times out, or gives me a "bad request" notice.

So I guess I need to refer you to the Flickr badge over there, which will take you to my page where you can see all the photos I would have uploaded as well as lots more. And you'll have to make do with text today, sigh, which will look like a nice long bunch of paragraphs.

It's too bad really, since we've had some great stuff going on here. Camp Grandma happened (with lots of help from the aunties, the cousins, and the cats) including a trip to the beach, a shopping spree at Justice (who knew that was the hottest place for tweens to find their new school clothes?), fun at the park, dinners in and out, learning to decorate cakes with Auntie D4, the Long Beach Aquarium, tea and art and rambling at the Huntington, a very hot trip to the Arboretum, and learning to sew.

The next adventure for me came with reading about the "Cash for Clunkers" program. I'd been so busy it barely registered, even though I'd been kind of thinking in the back of my mind about what my "next car" would be for quite a while. Then I saw a photo on a news website of MY TRUCK with "clunker" painted on its side! A little research quickly showed me that the clunker cash would be quite a bit more than even the high blue-book on the truck, so I called my "favorite" dealership to inquire about availability on my presumed next choice. Ummm, they had one left, and had just sold two, didn't know when more were coming in.

Off I went to talk and test drive. Yes indeed, my poor purple truck did qualify for the top $$$ on the program; and after test-driving my first choice (the Escape hybrid) and a second choice (Mariner, non-hybrid), plus running some numbers, i eventually drove home in... a kiwi green Mariner! It turns out that because I do so much freeway driving, the hybrid wasn't the best choice; the Mariner (and the gas-only Escapes) get about the same highway mileage and have more pep.

I dunno. I've been trying to feel a little bad about condemning the Purple People Mover but I just can't do it. Already I love the new one, even though it's not as big and doesn't have nearly as much hauling capacity as the purple one. I guess I'll find out at the end of the month when it's time to load up and trek to Asilomar again--maybe I need to repack my tools and fabrics anyway, since there are a lot of things I've brought the last couple of times that I wound up not using.

This would have been a much more attractive post with pictures. Didn't realize how spoiled I have been in the past! Here's hoping Blogger gets it together so I can go back to posting pictures!

Still July, At Least!

2009-07-23T16:25:00.001-07:00

First off, let me point you to a new link on the sidebar there: John and Ryan are heading West, and will be blogging about it. You've seen John on this blog before, he's also known as #1 grandson.

I will be looking forward to reading about their travels. It reminds me of my own journey West, back just a few years ago. Picture in your mind's eye for a moment: me, age 20, with a fresh new college degree (ink not quite dry on it!) and a contract to teach in Los Angeles for a year; friend with same. We set off in a '53 Chevy with $300 between the two of us, and actually made it all the way on that. (Did I mention that in 1962 gas cost, oh about 25 cents a gallon? That a night in a pretty decent motel was less than $10, and the fleabags ran $5?)

The rest is history. Although my contract was only for a year, I met someone who convinced me to sign another kind of contract--that one lasted 42 years!

And led, sort of indirectly, to John and his cousins...

If you're tuning in for the yarn pr0n, here's a bit of new stuff for you.

This is the newest from the STR club. Inspired by heirloom tomatoes and all their glorious colors, Garden Daze has reds, oranges, greens and a nice sort of tealy green. I was (shhh!) a little underwhelmed with the sock pattern, but then I don't knit socks, so it's kind of a moot point.

IF I were to want to knit some socks--and, it's always possible, if someone I love enough wants a pair badly enough--and I wanted to use this pattern, I'd probably do it in a semisolid instead.

Who, me? A rebel? Whatever gave you that idea?

I'm a little disappointed in how this picture came out, because the yarn itself is so much deeper and richer in color. There's also a lot more red than you'd think from looking at t his view of the hank.

It's from Fiber Optica, laceweight, hand dyed in the Rekjavik colorway. It's one of those things--I was on Ravelry, just quietly reading away, and there it was at the bottom of the page. I had to click through to the Etsy shop, and well, that was that.

I'm busily chugging away on my granny squares for our Summer of Crochet Love GCA and have rediscovered the seductive power of crochet. Couple of things are helping this new addiction (or should I say, revival of an addiction) along: I have a hook that doesn't make my hand cramp up, and I'm using Noro Silk Garden, which has so many variations that it's just tantalizing to see what will come out next.

I mean, I'll be going along, crocheting from a ball that is showing bright turquoise, magenta, and deep green--and what's under my hook is grey, brown, dull olive. Some of it is underspun and very thick; some of it is overspun, and almost the size of fingering weight; there's VM (vegetable matter, for you Muggles, meaning bits of straw, grass, etc that didn't get cleaned off in the processing), there's bits of thread--it's an adventure in a ball of yarn! No one knits or crochets with Noro expecting perfection; the rusticity is a major element of its charm. My count as of t his afternoon is 57 squares; I'm on the 14th ball of the stuff. My goal is either 99 or 108 squares, which will make a pretty good-sized afghan (or two lap blankets). We'll see if I can finish this before the lurve wears off! Pictures next time, or hit my Flickr page to see the beginnings of this.

(Explanation: I'm writing this post on Firefox, which doesn't cooperate very well with Blogger, so I can't add pictures part way through a post and then move them to where I'd like them. So I think that tonight my squares will have their own photo shoot, and they can be another post.)

All Over In a Burst of Glory

2009-07-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July 2009 is history, along with the preceding 233 Fourths. Now it's back to life as we usually know it, for better or worse.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and maybe took a little time to reflect on the good things in your life. I know I did, and I feel truly blessed. Sure, it's easy to focus on some of the negative stuff--the aches and pains and troubles and trials and tribulations, but in the midst of all that, there's the sweet smell of baby hair, the glory of early dawn, the radiance of sunset, the great boon in communication with faraway loved ones...the fun and fascination of the internet, even!

Fireworks, Family and Fun

2009-07-04T15:24:00.001-07:00

Is this not the world's most beautiful apple pie?

There's even sour cream in the crust, and the apples are pre-cooked and drained before being put in the filling so the bottom crust doesn't get soggy.

If D4 decides to change fields, I think she'd have a great career as a pastry chef!

Li'l Missy discovered that Grandma's slippers are nice and fuzzy inside and feel very good on little feet.

Unfortunately, they are rather large on little feet, being intended for Grandma's clodhopper feet.

So navigating around in them is problematic. However, she did give it her best shot.

Check out those curls. She's got great hair already!

Heading over to D5's in a few, to celebrate the Fourth with family and fireworks. Depending on the state of the neighbor's trees, there's a good view of the fireworks at the Fairplex from D5's front lawn. Her talented hubby rigs up the speakers outside and plugs them into my iPod with the patriotic music program on it, and we can listen to John Philip Sousa and Lee Greenwood and the rest of them while watching fireworks.

Cool stuff!

Of course I'll bring something to do with my hands, assuming they won't be full of babies--with the three youngest grandkids there, plus baby Paige (do I really think of myself as a great-grandma?), there may be enough so I'll get a little baby-time.

Maybe.

Here's wishing you and yours a grand and glorious Fourth (assuming of course that you're in the US and celebrating it; I think the Brits have a little different "take" on it than we do, and I know Canada Day has just passed).

Another Day, Another Month...

2009-07-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

What have I been spending my time on, you may ask? Well, not this:

It's suffering from neglect. I just am not loving the way it's coming out.

Maybe I need to let it marinate a bit more.

Now., Lady Eleanor III is moving along. She'd move even faster if she wasn't so long and didn't provide such a nice WARM lap covering. When it's 90 degrees and 90% humidity, well...

The Grandcarrot's sweater is moving right along. I do believe that it is just about to the shoulder decreases. This is one of those patterns where I don't think the "payoff" in terms of texture is really worth all the effort of creating it, but we'll see when it's done. It is a cute design!

Then there's the Wee Boy's sweater. It's got a finished back, and I'm well up the fronts. Yay for small sizes!

The yarn is Sirdar Snuggly, a really nice-feeling synthetic. It's not that "crunchy" ack-rylic, and after seeing how the Sweet Pea sweaters have held up to being washed and worn and washed and worn again, I'm very pleased with the yarn.

Ah, but this is the Summer of Crochet Love GCA for the OOPs knitters. I had several ideas in mind--even bought some luscious alpaca in black, white, and two shades of grey to make a crochet blanket.

Yeah, so not going to happen! When I saw what my fellow OOPsers are doing--Ellen and Madge and Annette especially, with their bright colors and Koigu and Babette or Babette-wanna-bes? I got out my 10-pack of Noro Silk Garden and started granny-ing.

Well, Noro is full of surprises. Four of these blocks came from one ball of yarn--I can get 4 blocks and the start of a fifth out of a skein--and the new skein I'm working from has purple in it! (No purple in the first one.) I am not joining them as I go, because I am going to get another batch of SG in a brighter colorway and mix the squares up. Otherwise I'm afraid this would just be a giant yawn. Then again, it might not. Noro is full of surprises!
One week, our group went to Abuelita's in South Pasadena for a "field trip" and for our usual knit day.

Do you really think I could go to a new yarn store and come out empty-handed?

This is the new Rowan Studio book and I'm making t he little sweater on the cover. In Rowan's Summer Tweed. I'm really enjoying knitting with this yarn, and the pattern is quick and easy so I can work on it while I'm spending time with Li'l Missy. "Watching" isn't the word for what I'm doing, exactly, since she's at a very interactive stage and has been known to grab my ball of yarn, clutch it to her chest, and exclaim "Mine!" with an impish grin.

It's summertime so the quilts on the backs of the sofas have changed with the season. I thought June 30 was a good day to put away the winter trees.

Hence, watermelons.

And ice cream.

No, these are not new. They go back quite a ways, in fact, and were class samples way back when. But they are fun and summery.

You know what else is summery?

Ripe apricots. The tree is producing a small crop this year--it either needs a heavy pruning, or else it's at the end of its productive cycle.

Kind of like me??

Anyway, I'm going to try to do better and keep the blog updated. This is going to be a busy summer, what with the Vegas gang arriving on Friday for a long holiday weekend, then later in the month the Denver bugs will be spending some time at Camp Grandma. (I'm surprised they can tear themselves away from their pretty new house, but I'm glad they're going to come to visit!)

I'm also planning to go to Asilomar again at the end of the summer, so I've started "training." The pedometer is back in service, thanks to D4, and I'm back to keeping track of my steps. Pretty pathetic when I can barely make it to half of my daily goal--but then, that's what a goal is for, right??

Right??

Knock, Knock, Is This Thing On??

2009-06-03T21:21:00.001-07:00

What, you may ask, has been occupying me since the first of April, leading me to neglect my poor blog?

Are you sure you want to know?

All right then, I'll tell you. And if I forget some of it, well, I'll have to chalk it up to old age or something like that. Certainly there have been a lot of reminders lately that I'm not exactly the spring chicken I feel like inside.

However, I can still get the happy when I'm in a loverly yarn shop and there is a surfeit of wonderfulness. And some of it can come home with me.

Really, what a shock, huh? This was taken at Twist during a "field trip" with my knitting group. It is a fabulous shop--and yes, they sell online--with an extraordinary selection of yarns, including that Malabrigo I'm cuddling (yes, it came home with me) and the Dream In Color Starry next to it. Considering that I was less than 5 miles away from Webs only a week before, and didn't get to go, I think I was being very good.

Well, at least good for Twist's bottom line that day. Our whole group found something, I think , but you'll have to check their blogs and Flickr pages to see. Or their Ravelry stashes. (You can check out my Flickr, too, for more pictures of this and the other things below.)

The Grandcarrot had a birthday, and turned 3. Here he is with his Auntie D4 and his birthday pinata. Made for him by his loving and slightly demented Auntie.

If you haven't met the Yo Gabba Gabba gang, you won't recognize Plex, the friendly robot. He was a big hit, and the little kids didn't seem to mind taking a whack at him--he was, after all, full of good treats!

I noticed that when the kids were scavenging up the loot after a well-placed whack opened him up, that some of them were taking the opportunity to take home an arm or a leg. Well, why not?

Here's something I didn't think I'd see for quite a while: a four-generations shot, and guess who is the oldest generation?

That's right. Little Paige Nicole, with her Grandma (D3) and mom Jessica. At least I'm not quite the oldest in the family--my dad, at 91, has me beat. We would have loved to get a picture of him holding his great-great-granddaughter, but he's not well enough to travel and it's a little far for Paige to go just yet. (Pics on Flickr of my dad meeting his 3 youngest great-grands, if you want to see. Maybe next time I'll post one of those here.)

Here's a shot of granddaughter Alyssa, at her college graduation in Providence, RI. Those are 3 of her proud aunties with her, and her carroty cousin who was more than a little overwhelmed at the whole giant graduation ceremony.

Alyssa graduated with her AA in Interior Design from New England Institute of Technology the day after she got married! Talk about a busy weekend...

Several of us, well, okay, all of us from California, flew out to New England for the wedding and graduation. D1 met up with us there in a miracle of scheduling. We met up with her in the baggage area of Bradley International and shuttled ourselves to a nearby Doubletree, which was a great place to rest and regroup.

There may have been wine involved. In fact, I'm sure there was. The little ones did eventually settle down in their temporary homes, and by morning we were able to get a couple of rental vans--followed, of course, by the obligatory breakfast at Cracker Barrel.

We spent Friday visiting my dad--the Massachusetts part of the trip--then found our way down to the lower part of Connecticut to #2's house, where we visited and relaxed till it was time to split up. I went to the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and the rest of the gang went to Mystic Pizza for dinner. There also may have been a trip to a package store for beer and wine and champagne...

Saturday was the wedding, followed by the reception at the wonderful Mystic Aquarium. I'm only including one picture from the reception here--if you want to see more, check out the Flickr links! This is me, in my pink suit (sometimes I call it my pink whale suit, but The Daughters don't like that so I won't do it here) with #2, D1, D4, D5, and D3. It was a beautiful wedding and the reception site was perfect.
So that's a quickie recap of the last couple of months. I've left out whole bunches of things, like D1's new house and being almost snowed in while we were in Denver, and peahens in the jacaranda tree, and how fast Little Miss is growing, and how cute the little grandboys are being, and all kinds of other stuff. I guess I will just need to be better about maintaining the blog.

I'll try!

April Already??!

2009-04-01T10:22:00.001-07:00

Not the best picture I've taken of the little cousins, and I'll work on getting a better one. However, as anyone who's ever had a toddler in this age bracket already knows, they are perpetual motion machines, and getting even one of them to stand still this long is a major feat.

I did get several pictures of blurs. Sigh.

Anyway, time does seem to be marching on, and March has marched its way into history. Time for some new blog resolutions, or maybe just trying to do a little better. Let's see how I do!

There are some interesting and exciting things coming up this month. First up, tomorrow morning D4 and I will be on a plane to spend 4 days with D1. While we're a Mile High, there will also be the opening of signups for the much-anticipated Mean Girls Yarn Club, on Friday. Then at the end of the month, most of the California contingent will be on a plane headed for the East for #1 Granddaughter's wedding and college graduation--talk about a busy weekend!

Oh, and Great-Grandaughter #1, aka Paige Nicole, made her appearance last week. So instead of having a "lucky 13th" grandchild, #13 turned out to be a "great" instead. Pictures are on her great-aunts' Flickr pages, since my phone has stopped accepting pictures. (Yes, I know, it's probably time for a new phone. Sigh.)

In yarny-goodness news, there's a new Yarn Club in town, and the signup frenzy will be happening on Friday April 3! The club is being organized by Laura from Dizzy Blonde Studios and Knitty Knitterton of the House of Awesome. (Did you see my Awesome yarns in previous posts? Yeah, those base yarns are sooo soft, and the colorwork is to die for.)

Club details:

Website is The Mean Girls Yarn Club
Signups begin April 3
Shipments will go out every other month for 1 year
Cost is $150 for the year, payable in one lump sum or 3 installments of $50 each
Membership is limited to 50 people
Colorways will be club exclusives, and will never be sold outside the club.
There is a theme within a theme, and guessing is encouraged.
Each skein will come with a little something COLLECTIBLE attached to the band, and a little extra "something else."
There are Ravelry groups for both dyers: Dizzy Blondies and House of Awesome.

I'm encouraging you all to head over there and sign up, just please please leave a spot open for me! If I don't get in, there will be some sort of major tantrum going on, probably with a triple back flounce and a touch of acid reflounce too! (Okay, that might not make sense, but if you're a Ravelry Rubbernecker, it definitely will. And if you're not, why not?)

So, that's it for March, and looking ahead to April, it looks as if it might make for interesting blogging.

Especially if I don't get into the club... because we all know I NEED MORE YARN.

More March-ing Along

2009-03-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

First day of Spring today, and it does look as if spring has sprung around here today.

I went out and took lots of flower pictures. Uploaded them, and most of them are so blurry they're unusable.

Boo. Bah humbug. Guess I'll need to go out there and try, try again.

I did get pretty decent picture of the Mock Orange, which is in full bloom back there. The tree is huge, and it smells absolutely wonderful in the back yard. Yay for fragrant trees!

Oh look! The spider plant seems to have grown some Awesome Sock yarn. I'll give you a link to Sharky's etsy shop, but right now she seems to be sold out.

This is her sock weight in a color called Power Tie. It reminds me a lot of Bob's favorite red tie, the one he always wore when he needed a little extra confidence.

There was another hank o f yarn in my package from Sharky, too. A worsted weight, in shaded bright pinks.

Look how nicely the pink yarn goes with the pink Transvaal daisies! And by the way, these little survivors have made it through another year, and have come back quite exuberant. The other one, a pale pink, is also doing nicely. Thank goodness all of the plants didn't die off with last year's massive invasion of the contractor's men.

See, even some of the daffodils survived. I'm planning to feed all of the surviving bulbs and plants so that they can make it through another year.

The brown iris is once again holding forth, and I'm so glad to see it! If you look at some of the pictures from last year, you'll see this stalwart survivor bravely waving its pretty flag (pun alert: irises are also known as "flags" in some places, tee hee) next to the ditch the plumbers dug to replace all the pipes.

Whew. While the lawn still looks horrid, and there are a lot of valleys where the filling-in was pretty sloppy, I'm cheered and encouraged by any signs of recovery. Acutally, the irises seem to be doing well everywhere. I'm glad we were able to move them out of the driveway border since that is now a wasteland of concrete, broken glass, nails, and general yuck. I'm hoping that with a little hard work it will be a good place to plant--I'm thinking lavender and sunflowers to start.

I've got seeds, and starter pellets, so maybe I can grow my own baby plants this year. I do get some teasing about having a "relationship" with my plants, but gee--why not?

For instance, when I look at this iris, I think of Sheila, who gave me a whole bunch of tubers when she thinned out her iris bed. She was a quilter and the only person I've ever met who (like Bob) was born in Wilmar!

And the lilacs are beginning to bloom. Only two panicles so far, but it's coming along.

I like this silhouetted against the bare trees in the neighbor's yard.

Here's Li'l Missy, giving me the ol' stinkeye because, after all, doesn't everyone need to have a drawer to sit in? Her next step after this (Mom says it's ok for her to play in this drawer, so it's ok with Grandma too!) was to empty everything out of the drawer onto the floor, so she could get her whole self in there. She's very focused when she's doing something like this--and she also put everything back in when she was done, and closed the drawer and the door too. It's so much fun watching her learning and doing--everything is so new!!

I have more pictures (including Cousin N8) but I'll save them for another day. I'll also fill you in on my latest "plunge" since I've joined the world of Facebook. Sigh. Only way to keep up with all the family, I guess!

March Maunderings

2009-03-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Is there anything more appealing than the doorway to a wonderful quilt shop??

This one is Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove. And it's just as wonderful as it looks.

Yes, it was Asilomar Week again.

There are some rituals involved with going to Asilomar, although they are very fluid. One of them is visiting Back Porch. They have a fabulous collection of fabrics, and their book selection is great. They also make every effort to be Empty-Spools-friendly, so when you walk in the books by the teachers for the current session are right there on display. (Assuming your teacher has written a book! Not all of them have, including my teacher for this timeast

Their back room is set up as a gallery with ever-changing displays. This time, it was quilts by their very talented staff. Last year, it was quilts by Ruth McDowell from the Thomas Collection.
Well worth a visit, any time I'm in the area. And, it's only a block from Monarch Knitting. Did I mention that I love this area??

There's some wonderful scenery at Asilomar, and even though the weather was stormy and rainy and windy much of the time I was there, I loved it anyway.

I thought the sun behind the clouds and the wind-whipped trees were wonderful.

This is my first project--well, except for a "trial run" at the technique. My teacher was Sylvia Einstein, who does wonderful "fractured landscapes" by building up layers of split and pieced fabrics. My blocks are supposed to be trees--use your imagination!--and they're done with cutting the block apart and inserting the strips to form the tree shape. I had done something similar in a workshop with Doreen Speckmann the first year I was at Asilomar--she had us experimenting with window panes on scenic fabrics.
I really like the technique, and once I get my sewing room set up, I'll probably experiment with it some more.

The second quilt top is what Sylvia calls Magic Squares. It's a very simple technique--this quilt is 20 blocks, and they are all cut from 4 fat quarters of batiks, except for 3 shapes cut from the remnants of the batik from the tree quilt above it. The border was something I had with me--yes, I brought my famous tub O batiks with me, and by a serendipitous chance it had a whole baggie of precut strips left over from my class with Colleen Wise three years ago. Made the tree quilt much easier to play with!

Lots more pictures on my Flickr page. I'll try to make sure they are all captioned but you know how that goes. I'll leave you with one of my favorites:

This is February

2009-02-18T18:54:00.000-08:00

The contrast between the weather out here and in other parts of the country is pretty amazing.

This is the view out of my back door: camellia bush in full bloom. It dawned on me, when I was passing out camellia food to the 20+ bushes that are growing around the house, that this one has done pretty well in its odd little enclosure.

When we started the addition to this house--back in 1983, if you'd like to keep track--we had two camellia bushes growing side by side just outside the kitchen door. Because of the way the house is oriented, the stairs to the yard went away from the bushes; but it soon became obvious that one or both of them was going to need to be moved so that there'd be room for a back door and a deck. So one of the bushes got moved, but the other we decided to leave in place. The deck was actually built around the bush; and when the deck was replaced, the new deck had a cutout for the camellia as well. I tend to think of this as an in-process arrangement, but after 25 years, I guess it's safe to say the camellia is pretty content in its spot.

Then there's the snow on the mountains from the recent rains. The clouds sort of obscure it in this picture, but hey, when you're sitting at a red light trying to take a quick photo, this is what you get.

It's no secret that I love snow, and rain, and cold weather, and while I have really enjoyed our recent storms, they've now passed into history and I'm once again dealing with bright hot sunny days. I hope we get more rain soon.

Today was a knitting day, and we had a little visitor.

You can never start a boy off too early with the yarn love.

I'm not sure what you'd call this particular technique. Yarn sampling?

He also enjoyed petting people's sweaters, especially the Yarn Addict who was sitting right next to him.

She also had a couple of skeins of Sundara yarn that he would have loved to get his hands on, but he had to settle for the leftovers of Memere's Encore.

Oh well. He had fun with it! And he was a very good little knit-visitor.

His momma could have done some knitting, if she had a project in the works. We're working on her! She does know how to knit and crochet both--and when we took our infamous tatting class, in San Diego, she was the only one of us who could actually produce a respectable piece of tatting. That is my biggest regret, that I have never been able to master the art of the shuttle.

My mother did beautiful tatting, though, and we have some of her lace. Heirloom stuff!

This grandma, however, does much more utilitarian knitting most of the time. I think it's almost time to tackle one of my silk shawl projects.

Hmmm. A silk shawl would be the perfect accessory for the Grandmother-of-the-Bride, n'est-ce-pas? I'll have to see what I can do about that.

Meantime, Mr. Dimples seems pretty pleased with his foray into the Yarn Arts. Maybe he'll come visit again!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

Here's sending good thoughts to everyone for a very happy Valentine's Day!

(Thanks to David Malki at www.wondermark.com for the valentine image. Do go over and check out his pseudo-Victorian-engraving webcomics!)

Tap, Tap, Tap...

2009-01-30T11:31:00.001-08:00

...is this thing still on?

Yes? Good.

So much for good intentions for posting every day, huh? I think I'll call January a loss and try again in February. NaBloPoMo has a neat theme for February: "want." So maybe I'll be able to explore that.

January has been one of those months that has been so up and down, I'm still trying to process it all. I think one of the reasons I've had "blog block" is that I wanted to do a post to honor my friend Dinah, who passed away this month, and it's been hard. How do you sum up almost 40 years of friendship in a meaningful way?

I've also been sick. Really truly awfully sick, to the point that I wasn't well enough to make the trek to Vegas for "the" baby shower last weekend. More about that later. The up side to it all is that I have finally recovered and it was truly amazing on Monday to find that I actually feel "good" as opposed to just dragging myself around. It's quite amazing!

Today is #1 Grandson's 21st birthday. Just in case I wasn't feeling "elderly" enough with a great-grandchild on the way, now I have a grandson who's "legal."

So, okay. I'm back to blogging. Let's hope I can keep it up! I've got a couple of pieces of unfinished "blog business" that I'll try to catch up on the next couple of days, and then we'll see what happens with "want"ing to do better!

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

2009-01-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

... the Three Kings finally made it to the stable! We have a family tradition where the manger gets set up, minus the Baby Jesus (he shows up at midnight or so on Christmas morning, if we remember where we hid him) and the Kings travel all over the living room. They usually go across the mantel, over the windowsills, and finally get to the stable about the time the tree is gone and the rest of the room is cleared of most vestiges of Christmas. Well, not this year. It's been a bit busy and both D4 and I have been hacking and coughing so things are moving a little slowly.

However, I have managed a few things. My square for the Ships Project afghan is in the mail, and my Special Olympics scarf is done and ready to mail in the morning.

As far as floozy casting on, well, I got one thing started tonight while watching the first episode of the new season of Biggest Loser. This:

It's two colors of Encore Colorspun, Mistake Rib pattern, pretty fast and easy so maybe it will get done quickly.

I'm t hinking seriously of ripping out the basketweave scarf I started earlier in this Flooze-along, and redoing it in this pattern. I'll have to sleep on it, though, and maybe take soundings from the rest of the OOPs floozies.

Happy Twelfth Night (even though I'm posting this after midnight, so technically it's over. Pfffttt!).