More Project Spectrum, Plus...

What is more "yellow" than California poppies?
Not much! These are growing in Pacific Grove, in a bed outside the Historical Society.
They have a whole garden of native plants. I wish the little strawberries had shown up better--but I wanted to get the iris and the poppies in too.

The Carrot was very obliging about wearing his Pea Pod sweater. After all, it's green, so appropriate for PS, right?

Unfortunately, holding still for the camera was not part of the deal. He's 10 months old now and this is what he mostly looks like--a little blur of motion!
Well, his daddy can corral him for a few minutes. He's still got a size advantage. Aren't they adorable?

This is a view from the walkway of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, looking out into the Bay.

Followed by another view, from a slightly different angle.

Then you turn your head and you're face to face with a happy grinning face. I think she's grinning cause she's just spotted lunch, on the hoof!

Have I mentioned lately that I love this aquarium? We had a great time visiting. I was in Monterey/Pacific Grove for a very quick trip--up on Friday, home on Saturday--for an important meeting. My sister-in-law was my traveling companion--I think we're going to be very compatible fellow-tourists (or should I say, touristes?) on our trip next month.

There was some knitting involved, and a quick trip into Back Porch Fabrics, but there wasn't time to hit the yarn shop on this trip.

I'm sure I'll be getting back up that way, though, because I really have fallen in love with the town and the whole ambience up there. Yes, we did cruise through Asilomar, just so she could see it. (Both of our husbands did a good part of their Army training and service at Fort Ord, which gave them a different perspective on the area!)

Easter Eye Candy

Posting from "the road" again so thought I would share a little of the floral offerings spotted. This arrangement was in the Apple Farm's dining room. I didn't get any of the gorgeous parrot tulips with their faces up, unfortunately, but at least you can see the colors.






A door bouquet. Is this a good idea or what?


Mystery flowers. Anyone know what these are? Blossoms are very tiny, maybe 1/4" or so across.
Remember back in Feb. when I posted a picture of a bed of purple kale? Well, this is what it looks like now--the heads have bolted, and there are big sprays of yellow flowers! And yes, I do know that the pink and blue things are not "real" flowers!

Knitting etc. content will resume upon my return. Breath holding is not necessary, as this is a one-day-turnaround trip! (Might be otter pictures tomorrow...if the little rascals cooperate!)

Full Pink Moon

...which is resisting having its picture taken! And no, I did not make that name up just for Project Spectrum.
You can check it out here.

Every time I try to take a picture, it comes out blurry or distorted. So this is the best of a bad bunch. We've been having haze and high humidity, which I think explains it.
Or of course a crappy photographer!
This morning's excitement? At 4:30 am, this happened. Just a little reminder that this is, after all, earthquake country. It was a small one, and I was able to stop hyperventilating after an hour or so. But forget about falling asleep!

So when you look at my springy pictures, remember this is the flip side of the coin. Well, that and the drought, and the heat, and t he fires...
To change the subject, here's a new topic. Quilter Gail (sadly blogless) completed this in class last night. It's a Pythagorean spiral done in paper piecing--well, foundation piecing. I freely admit that this is not my forte--I have trouble with the upside-down-and-backward aspect of it. I could learn to do it well if I put my mind to it, and I have a New York Beauty pattern which has been calling to me, so maybe once I get my "studio" set up this will become a priority.
Do you hear the flapping of porcine wings??

My order from Little Knits came: two hanks of Sea Silk, in the Wildflower colorway--perfect for this round of PS.
Well, except for that blue and orange in there. But it is soft and yummy and the colors glow from within, so it's all good.

Gotta love Sea Silk! This will be a shawl of some sort--I have several patterns that I'm mulling over. News at 11. Or something.

Dutch iris are so pretty and they keep coming back, no matter how abused they may be.
Just a little touch of color in the weed patch that used to be my front flower bed.

And more bearded iris. This is the same one that was photographed last week--you can see the old blooms still on the plant, as I am rather a lazy photographer and gardener both. I love the way the orange glows in this flower, though, really striking.
That's a gardenia behind it. It's a happy gardenia. Wish I could say the same for its sibling, planted two feet away, which is leggy and demoralized. Time to give it some TLC in the form of scratching at the dirt and an application of fertilizer.

In knitting news, I managed to get up to and past the armpit decreases on both fronts of the CPH. However, it looks very little different than it did the last time I took its picture, so we'll just wait till I get a little further.
That's all for today, folks! I am being paged by the laundry--the warning signs were evident this morning: last clean pair of jeans, and we're down to the less desirable underwear. (Hmm, maybe I need to take a lesson from The Sheep... )

Some Comes In, Some Goes Out...

For instance--you've recently seen what the new acquisitions have been.

Well, meet the outgoing stuff. Sorta the de-acquisitioned stuff, as it were.
And it were gone. Here's the empty tubs to prove it. And look at how empty the shelves are getting!

Well, okay, not totally empty, but there is still a lot more space than there was.

Yeah, my garage is pretty dusty. It needs a door. One that will actually close and open--this one can't be closed or we'll never get it opened. Never Ever Ever! The blue basket is just laundry--chocolate-colored, and covered, sheets. Memo: if you are going to eat chocolate-covered honeycomb, keep track of the pieces. Sitting on them leads to disaster, or at least changing the sheets!

Oh, look! Wonder what this new toy is on the floor? Did Mom put it here for us??
Step away from the CPH, boys.
Look! A back, part of two fronts, and the first inch of two sleeves! Progress!!
Mom, I'm cuter than this guy, why do you take HIM everywhere and leave ME at home??

Here's to a good day out of knitting, de-stashing, and good talk with good knitters! KD and Cat Book Mom (who's got her blog back!) and I met for some of all of the above today. CBM has a group of knitters who make lots of things for charity, so the three bags full plus the progress-to-date on the Trellis baby cardi went to her. Trellis? Great pattern, very cute. I didn't knit fast enough. Baby grew. Life is short, move the pieces on and move on! Sent them out into the world, hopefully to find some good karma and someone who will love to finish it for a baby who will get lots of wear out of it. Yes, I sent the pattern along. I will probably print a new copy and start it over again, in a larger size, for the grandcarrot.

I probably should have kept track of what I sent off, so I would know how even the exchange was--how much went out vs how much came in. You know what?

I don't care.

So... what?

A New Month, New Colors

Yup. April Fool's Day, and I have yet to prank anyone. Oh my, don't tell KD, she'll revoke my Tarnished Badge of Evil!
And yes, I know you've seen this yarn before...but the colors are just perfect for the green-and-yellow part of this month's new Project Spectrum colors!
As is the pink rose... backed by some truly spectacular greenery, wouldn't you say?

Or the camellia that grows out of my new deck. The one that isn't content to have beautiful pink-and-white flowers, but also needs to produce a few sprays of red ones, too.
D4's photo of the Hollywood Hills fire, taken from her job's parking lot. Quite a bit of pink and yellow in that smoke... am I stretching yet?
And the last little bit, pink and green marshmallows, home-made by D4. Both of these batches happen to be peppermint-flavored, but I think the green should be spearming. Or the pink should be wintergreen. She says, when I make them myself, I can pick the colors and flavors to match!

I'll look for more things in the new colors. And maybe I'll go look for someone to spoof. Can't lose my badge, now can I?

Friday Cats (and a little yarn pr0n too)

How did the boys know that I would need a darling picture of them for a Friday Cat post?

The shredder is barely big enough for one cat, let alone two, especially when one is the size of Hi-Hi.
Who is not fat. He's just fluffy.

Uh huh.

Yes, they are both full-grown cats. Simon is just a little guy and Hi-Hi is a big guy. It's that Maine Coon thing, I'm sure. He also has a teeny tiny voice. A broken meow-er, as it were.

The Knit Happens order came. Right after the Black Sheep spree. Oh, my. The Silk Garden is lovely and soft (yes, those are the same color and dye lot!), the Bullfrogs and Butterflies is a lovely color--Black Purl, mmm--mmm--good! The lone ball of KSH is soft and yummy too. The Silk Rhapsody? Well, I didn't remember ordering it in Glow-in-the-Dark brights! So hmmm, this one is going to have to marinate a bit. However, there are granddaughters, and they might like a nice jazzy scarf, vest, or something wonderfully soft and lush...that glows in the dark.
Elann's April newsletter came today. I have not opened the email. I may send it directly to my trash folder. Then empty the trash. I DO NOT NEED MORE YARN!!!
Yeah, I've said it before. Sigh.

Black Sheep at Black Sheep

Who can resist the siren song of a good yarn sale?
Not me. Not the Knit Devil. We are discovering, by the way, that we are Bad Company for each other--check out JenLa* to see what I mean--because we egg each other on to do more and more evil things. This was a case of my Evil Twin and hers getting together. (*Of course neither of us took pictures at the ASK hookup. D'oh!)

So this is what came home with me from Black Sheep. (Can you tell I am feeling rather rambly today? Yarn fumes, folks, yarn fumes.)

Cute bag, huh? Look how its little sides bulge out...
This is why.

Look what's inside: Koigu! KPM and KPPPM both. 50% off folks, how often do you get a two-for-one deal on KOIGU?
Plus some teeny tiny crochet hooks (for attaching beads), some rosewood needles (yet another try to find Birch's perfect match), a copy of Selvedge, and a lone ball of Rowan Cashsoft in a pretty pale blue. Well, it's not alone; there are 23 of these that followed me home.
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep!

Some Koigu closeups... I love the way these colors glow in the sun and in the shadow both.
Yum.
Yum, and I am so not an orange and tomato-red girl. But I love the way these yarns play off each other.

These are going to be scarves, I think--those multi-yarn chevron thingies that are so popular right now. Or maybe shawls. We'll see.

I can just imagine playing with these with my new rosewood needles. Must not go back to Black Sheep and buy up all their rosewood and ebony needles. Must not...

To finish off the day, we retired to the Coffee Bean in Montrose for an hour of knitting on our CPHs. KD and I are both on the fronts, and chugging right along. While this is not the most interesting knit I've ever done, it's far from the most boring either, and I'm enjoying working with this yarn. Good thing, since I have a sweater quantity of it in another color!

Evil Twin is now sitting in her corner, admiring her new yarn and purring quietly. She does keep noodging me to go buy some more needles, but I've told her (repeatedly) that it's a long way from TC to Hollywood, and we need to do laundry.

Hmmm.... wonder who will win that fight?

Stash Management (Again!)

Kute Kitty Kutups for the day: Hi-Hi vs. the Turkey Jerky bag. He fished it out of the trash and has been happily attacking it in the vain hope of getting something tasty out of it.
Ain't gonna happen, fella. D4 (and I) beat you to the good stuff!
But hope springs eternal, and the boy needs his exercise.

There. That's the eye candy for the day. Knitting pics next post, promise.




Today we're going to talk about Stash Management, Containment, and Associated Other Topics. Well, I'm going to talk. You can choose to read on, or close the browser window right now.
Your choice.

Way way back in January, when I did my first post on Stash Control, I received an email from a quilter in the Shenandoah Valley. Like many of us, she and her fellow quilt guild members were feeling as if their stashes were getting out of control and they decided to do something about it. I won't go into their whole plan, but I'm delighted that I was able to inspire them to start. Daisy has kept me updated on their monthly program, and I just loved this month's so much, I asked her if I could share it. So here it is, and thank you, Daisy!
“So how long does it take to make a quilt, anyway?”
We’ve all been asked that question. How many of us really know the answer?
About four years ago I actually tracked how long it took me to make a particular quilt because I knew I would be asked that question about that piece. Before I began, I made a timetable listing my guesstimates for the various steps. I used that old adage: “Figure out how long it should take you to do something, then multiply that answer by three.” Then I kept a log of the different things I did and how long I spent on each. I didn’t total anything until after the piece was completed.
It was an eye-opening experience.
I was wrong on every single guesstimate. I should have multiplied most of the answers by four to six.
Why bring this up in a column on stash management? Because learning how much time it actually took me to create a quilt was a major reality check. I learned that it takes A LOT longer in reality than in my imagination. Now I stop and think before committing to a new project. How long will it take me to do this? Okay, how long will it take me to do this now that I’ve remembered to multiply by four? So, do I have time to do this in and around my pre-existing obligations? Finally, do I want to use my time on this new project or would I rather use the time in a different way?
This month’s task: Track your quilting time for one week (seven days). When you finish a quilting task (cutting, piecing, pressing, etc.), make a note of the activity and the amount of time you spent. I usually note in minutes (cut blue strips – 10 mins; pieced star blocks – 25 mins) on the wall calendar in my work room.
At the end of the week, look at your results. How much time did you spend quilting? More time than you thought you did? If so, did you accomplish as much as you expected? Did you spend less time quilting than you thought you did? If so, this might explain why some projects seem to take so long. Are you more aware overall of how you spend your time? (Whenever I do this exercise, I discover that I spend more time thinking, talking, and reading about quilting than actually doing it.)
Finally, now that you’re hypersensitive to your quilting time, mentally review your list of projects. Any changes in status?

There it is. If you mentally translate "quilting time" to "knitting time" and figure out how long each project takes, I think that you, like me, will see that the SABLE acronym takes on a new meaning entirely.
For instance, I spent two hours last night knitting (and watching Dancing With the Stars). During that time, I cast on the two fronts for the CPH (44 stitches each) and knit a WHOLE inch. Hmmm... at this rate? How long will it take me to get the whole thing done?

I'm going to be working on my stash organization with a whole new understanding of the TIME involved in each project, and I have a feeling that a lot of things are going to go by the wayside. After all, I don't have a deal with the Almighty that I can't go until I finish all my projects!

Spring is... Springing??

The requisite lilac bush shot. One of the things I most missed about living out here in the "desert" were the wonderful flowers that grow in the North. We finally were able to get a lilac bush, a special variety that survives and blooms without a winter chill. Before this the only way you could get lilacs was to buy blocks of ice to pack around the base of the plant, to simulate winter. Oh, do note the "Spanish Hacienda" type lantern on the left side--it doesn't work, but it's original to the house.
Iris! First of the season! This one is a rescue, actually twice rescued. It originally came from a quilter friend who was thinning her beds. It grew alongside the driveway but, of course, when the old driveway went, the irises all needed to be moved. At least, the ones that survived the oak tree madness did. I'm so glad to see they made it!

And of course, we must have a grandcarrot shot or two. He loves his chair, although he doesn't sit in it much. He uses it to climb on (and drool on) so he can "visit" with his cousins' photos.

And just for the record, I think those toesies are the cutest!
A boy and his cat. Chuckie puts up with all kinds of mauling--he seems to really like the baby, and the baby really likes him, too. Chuck is around 20, he's had a very exciting life for a cat and this is not the first time he's been around babies. It's really cute to see Chuckie walking alongside Garrett when he crawls! And, teething babies must almost always have something to gnaw on--you don't set it down just cause you're heading somewhere!

Apricot blossoms. The tree is around 35 years old--we planted it not long after we moved into the house--and it has been getting "tired" so it's always good to see it leafing out and putting out blossoms. D4 took this picture, and I think she did a great job on it!

Oh yes, there is knitting going on too. The back of the CPH has hit the stitch-holder stage, and I will probably cast on the fronts tonight. Last night was a Lady E night. That's such a soothing knit, and it's perfect for TV watching!

Friday is for...

Progress report. CPH is coming right along. It's actually a little further than this picture shows, almost ready to start the armscye decreases. Yarn is much darker in person--flash made it really red. It's a good choice for this pattern, though, as the cables pop and the tweedy bits keep it interesting. Yarn is wool, acrylic, and floor sweepings.

Friday Flahrs:
A clump of mini-daffodils. I love bulbs. Pretty flowers even when I'm too lazy/busy to get out there and garden.



Friday Cats:
Of course it's sleepy time. Simon found a nice cuddly spot of wrinkled quilt to curl up in; his barely-open eye says, will you please take that camera somewhere else?
Hi-Hi is currently majoring in extremely fluffy. I've been trying to figure out if that wide-body look is because he's gained weight, or if it's just his winter coat. I've got all the windows open upstairs, heater's been turned off all month, and it does get a little chilly in here.
Padua does not have mumps. Not even one mump. It's just the way the colors of his fur blend on that side that make him look that way. This is the mildly disgruntled look of a cat who's been "disturbed" for a photo and not offered a third breakfast.

Notice how he's got himself a nice crumply blankie to sleep on, too? What is it with cats? He has a perfectly fine purr-pad, but no, has to make himself a nest.
Hoping for a little quality knitting time this weekend--we'll see. D4 needs to have some work done on her car, so we're booked in for an EARLY appointment at her mechanic's, hoping they will get it done in one day. There's also a hint of a "family dinner" in the wind for Saturday or Sunday night. D5 is traveling east this weekend to spend some time with the East Coast relatives--lucky D5! Oh well, I might be headed there myself soon.
If you like to write letters, you might want to pop over to Domesticat's blog and read about her Knitterly Letter Swap. Did I sign up? Well, let me put it this way--you may not know anyone who has a bigger collection of stationery, fountain pens, colorful inks, and pretty seals. (If you do, let me know--she might want to swap letters!) Sounds like a fun idea. I think I remember how to hold a pen!

Cousins!

DSC01398
Originally uploaded by trinknme.

Cousin time! Seems the only way I can upload these pictures is to post them from Flickr. Oh well, they are cute enough to warrant a post apiece!

Never too early to read...

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Originally uploaded by trinknme.

Carrot's got cousins! On his recent trip he got to spend some quality time with his next-older cousins. He's growing!

B in B, Part Deux

How much progress can one make on the Central Park Hoodie while walking around a quilt show?

This much.




A little quilty eye candy for you. This is Ellin's quilt, well it's really a collaboration. Ellin and her husband work together to produce amazing amounts and quality of work. Many of their quilts are destined for charity, or are meant to be auctioned for one good cause or another. This one was a labor of love and it really shows.
Way to go, Ellin!!

Th-th-that's all, folks! Unless I lean out the window and take another picture of a cloudy grey sky, and let's face it, you see one, you've seen it!