Fibernating

Joe Pye's friend

2010-07-26T14:10:00.001-07:00

Each year the Joe Pye Weed by the pond is taller with more stalks. It is becoming a problem to mow around but we must leave it until after it has bloomed. Swallowtail butterflies are just one of the grateful natural feeders.

Peach Pickin' Time in PA

2010-07-24T10:03:00.001-07:00

This is our first crop of peaches and they are fantastic! So sweet and drippy ;-) They are just as good as Chambersburg peaches and much better than Georgia peaches.

Speaking of which, have you heard the 1929 Jimmie Rodgers song "It's peach pickin' time in Georgia'?

A li'l bit of camp

2010-07-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

entices ;-)

Marilyn, Janine and Meg hold versions of the same sweater, all of which Marilyn created to be shared in publication soon.

Cheryl models everything wonderfully even though there are some blurry shots!

Robin models yet another purple, this time her cabled hand-to-hand sweater. It's a version often overlooked.

Pat is a newbie this year but what amazing show and tell! The 'Stetson' Amy is wearing is a knitted, felted hat Pat made for her friend. But what else Pat is showing is a project on which she and friends are working to create knitting charts and then knit them into blocks based upon from American Brilliant (cut glass) patterns. These are to be published 'soon'. Her detective work qualifies her for the PBS show "History Detectives". We were all totally fascinated. Was our knitting itching piqued? Absolutely. Am I telling more? No!

When I cropped this shot I purposely left in Linda also shooting at the same time. It seemed everyone with a cell phone or camera loved this show and tell. Sarah's black top proved to be a most excellent backdrop for the blocks. We really hope Pat joins us again next year.

Here's Debbie (dwKnitAholic on Ravelry) from Ontario with her Hibiscus designed by Anne Featonby of 'Shades of Shetland' blog fame or fairislefanatic on Ravelry.

All show and tell and contest entries are not represented in my collection for no other reason than I also await Al's DVD to arrive and that I get enmeshed in the process, forgetting to press the camera's button!

As the lyrics read, "We've only just begun..."

A FO!

2010-07-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

This year's camp knitting project is finished!

If I would have knit even an hour on the ride home or during the hectic after camp return, this hat would have been cast off on Monday.

This is a Rolled Brim Hat based upon a pattern from Claudia at Countrywool.

Details forthcoming...
Yarn: Amazing by Lion Brand, 53% wool and 47% acrylic, courtesy Yarn Elf.
Needles: #9 16" circular for body and #4 doublepoints to finish top.
Cast on 108 for large size.

I've cast on for the small size for when I need 'mindless' knitting!

It runs in the genes...

2010-07-18T06:47:00.001-07:00

As soon as Thursday night dinner was over at 2.75 Russ scurried off to Wausau to visit with DD#3.

DD#3 takes after her father in many areas...

lovin' dogs, especially big ones....

truck/equipment driving...

enjoying time on the water with wildlife and tennis ball-crazed Max!

Knitting Camp looks like...

2010-07-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

crossing between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan after a great pre-camp visit with Sarah and household.

Friday morning starts out with breakfast.

Everyone looks forward to The Kitchen Table with its wonderful breakfast, atmosphere and food!

Many of us are extremely fond of Meggie's granola, yogurt and fruit.
Many thanks to Lloie.

I just love this vignette of miniatures along with designs by Romi available at SHP.

J&S and Jamieson's shetland colors are combined into wreaths by company and shade for easier color combining in those must-have projects.

It's been a couple years since I had a picture taken with Meg...and then we go and crack each other up!!!

My nametag is the same I used last year. It was my version of the SHP KAL with Lizzie Upitis for Latvian mittens. Knit this way it makes for a great hotel room key holder. No more losing the key card at the bottom of a tote!

Elming

2010-07-08T05:57:00.001-07:00

Drooping Summer Elm is as done as she's going to get until a wire blocking. For now the pins worked a fair job.

Nothing like blocking on motel towels in Merrill, WI, one could say ;-)

Details:

Cascade Heritage Handpainted Sock Yarn, color 9824 purchased two camp treks ago in Menominee, MI.
U.S. 6 Addi Lace Turbo
cast on from Montse Stanley...double loop twist cast on
pattern is drooping elm from Barbara Walker

For sense and sensibility I wrote the lace pattern onto an index card and used opaque tape to mark the row currently knitting or next to knit. It's a 10 row pattern with patterning on each row, a knit side and a purl side to pattern.

To the U.P.

2010-07-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

Approaching the Mackinac bridge, crossing the bridge, Lake Michigan at Manistique as the front passes through with periods of misty drizzle drops this P.M.

Thank you Sarah and family for the visit!

See all at 2.75 in two sleeps and two wakeups! (Terms originating with Debbie and Linda!)

Don't Leave Me!

2010-07-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the one fella who gives us fits as we're leaving him.

Tawny just howls and barks and dances when he sees suitcases. He tears up the stairs at the sound of a suitcase zipper.

The latter is helpful when getting him upstairs for his holiday bath!

Russgate

2010-06-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

was today's home improvement project! The back porch gates had been around a long while and this one, the one leading to the driveway, has been in need of refurbishing.

The first week

2010-06-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

of summer vacation brought helpful kids from DH's bus route over here to help paint aluminum siding, columns and latticework! All were anxious to pick up $ for summer trips. Great workers! Think it helped they were plied with Gatoraid and water and lunch every day?

Somebody had a birthday

2010-05-06T10:34:00.001-07:00

back on April 14th.

Spring Poppin' 2

2010-04-10T09:57:00.001-07:00

Wild violets spread happiness by the pond.

Apple buds are ever-bursting forth.

Young peach tree shares its glory.

Cinnamon ferns unfurl their harp-like magic by the moment.

Spring poppin'

2010-04-10T09:23:00.001-07:00

After record-breaking Winter snows and temperatures and then record-breaking heat in the mid-80's for a week, Spring is poppin' really early.

Giant Eagle has many flowering trees planted in its parking lot for all of us to enjoy. Unfortunately the flowers are all white. At the S&T bank there are white and pink trees alternating around their drive.

Magnolias are flowering abundantly and early this Spring. DH pulled off onto the berm (shoulder) of a main road for me to capture this magnolia in a yard.

A driveway was our parking spot for these gorgeous trees in a front yard. I get embarrassed pulling into someone's driveway to take pictures of their landscaping but DH says the people would be happy others enjoy their handiwork.

The daffodils are almost finished but violets, grape hyacinths and early rhododendron are blooming. Some choke cherries and pears are blooming throughout the woods. Lilacs are budding with some buds purplish already. Our peach tree is in full bloom while the cherry, crab apple and apple trees are ready to pop today or tomorrow. Ferns are uncurling in magical harp-like shapes.

Green Sweater Progress

2010-04-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

"Fir Green" colored single ply Briggs & Little yarn is a mix of greens, blues and golds just as none of nature's colors is solid, neither is this yarn.

These pics were shot this morning before I cut the two front steeks.

Why the coiless pins? Even working in bright sunlight, I am having a great deal of trouble staying on track while crocheting my 4 steeks. Astigmatism will not win this one, so I put the coiless pins in the gutter between the stitch halves being crocheted. It's really easy now to crochet on either side of the pins and to cut the steeks! The two front steeks have now been cut, ready to be tacked. Sleeve steeks are next.

Speaking of green, here's the back yard this morning reveling in warm sun after its first mowing! Apple, peach and cherry trees are just breaking forth leaf and flower buds. The neighbor's decorative weeping cherry burst into bloom yesterday and smells soooo good!

Clee-op, clee-op, clee-op

2010-03-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

go my tennies in the dryer as I begin to catch up on the last month's activities!

Ravelympics ended with the closing ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics. That happened when we were starting our trek. Although I wasn't able to even begin to compete in my third event, the flyingcamelspin (spinning), I did win three awards! This first one was a very big surprise as it is an award for being a co-captain of the team SHPknitters!

Ah, the giantslalomghan event medal is for finishing Beth's afghan. We delivered it to her in person! She really loved it. She also thought that her son might just borrow it permanently for his apartment! Haven't heard if the afghan is still outside Austin or in College Station. Grin.

WIP's (Works In Progress) Dancing Ravelympics award comes with my completing a BSJ for charity. Knitting the collar onto it was a new technique for me. This little sweater just looks so much more 'finished' with its collar. Since this was knit in February, our record-breaking snowiest month, the colors came through in fine form to cheer me through that horrible weather mess.

These shots are the finished items that won the Ravelympics medals!

I miss being able to watch good television (the Olympics) every night rather than the 'entertainment' decided by network executives or the news and weather (also too much NBC entertainment) channels.

On Saturday, February 27th at 9:30 AM after seeing that the roads were finally clear because of a dry slot between storms overnight AND despite 14" on the level spots and mountainous drifts/plowed snow, Russ asked if we could be ready to go by 2 PM instead of 8 AM on Sunday? We still had to grocery shop for critter goodies, finish laundry, finish packing, catch the sitter up on things due to this kind of weather....

But the prognostications were 1-3 more inches of snow Saturday. The last two storms of 24" and 8" started out being predicted at 1-3".

Oh. My.

We left at 1:50 PM. On the road again only as far as Columbus; but, that's far enough to get out of the worst of this particular storm!

Sun-day, indeed

2010-03-22T15:26:00.001-07:00

It was the first day of Spring. 72 degrees here in Cooperdale. Warm, clear skies brought out the Spring flowers in abundance!'

Crocus spread their cheer as the lilac leaf buds burst forth.

The 'early' daffodils bought last Fall opened first this day against the foundation.

Russ rototilled three rows of the garden where I planted white Swiss chard, sugar snap peas and carrots. Never have I been able to plant garden rows this early!

Russ was so pleased to be able to work in the garage this day.

Real thoughts of Spring included checking the oil in the mower, blowing off winter porch grunge with the leaf blower and working at the garage work bench.

We are so happy with this wonderful weather turn since three weeks ago there were 6 foot snow piles, 14 inches of snow and more snow on the way!

I haven't forgotten about sharing our wonderful trip.

The Green Sweater is growing!

St. Paddy's Day & 3417 miles

2010-03-17T10:59:00.001-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Although some of my heritage is Irish, it's the orange Irish, rather than the green Irish. This year we are so grateful to be seeing green that we are celebrating Mother Nature wearing her green!

Look! The Green Sweater is lying on green grass! After all that snow, green grass has been highly anticipated. The Green Sweater has also been highly anticipated. Last night I swatched for it and it is coming out on gauge with a #6 Kollage square needle purchased in OKC at Gourmet Yarn Co.

Yesterday some of the maples started budding out, too!!! And today a rock iris is sharing the love.

Also at Gourmet Yarn with Russ, Linda and Jim, I bought a skein of Plymouth Yarn's Fantasy Naturale, 100% mercerized cotton. I finished a dishcloth in it in the Waterfall pattern p. 159 of Barbara Walker's blue Treasury. The cloth is light, cheery, Spring-like. It's the feeling we've needed along with bright sunshine, blue skies and today's 60 degree temperatures.

As a hint for what's to come as I'll blog about our trip of 3417 miles, here's a friend of mine who lives near Jacksonville, Alabama. Can you believe those huge eyes and long eyelashes on this cria?

Slalomghan

2010-02-27T07:42:00.001-08:00

Beth's afghan is finished! Just in time for its Ravelympics slalomghan event.

The weather is still yucky, but no snow yet this morning.

Cable-y goodness

2010-02-18T11:58:00.001-08:00

Afghan strips, not joined, are here laid on a cedar chest to show patterning and progress. The photo shows just partial strips, plus 5 out of the 6 I'm knitting. I'm on strip #6. When the two balls for 6 have been knit, then will add onto each strip from other balls, join and wash. They're acrylic so won't be blocked per se. These are also all 'bunched up', not nearly their finished size.

Hey Beth, it's coming along!

Today it's 40 with a lot of sun. Yeah! Melting is happening and we are so grateful to see sun and for the melting so some of the weight is off the roofs and gutters. Too many stories of collapsed roofs with so much snow weight are in the news.

A Gold Medal BSJ

2010-02-14T20:38:00.000-08:00

A medal for Team SHPknitters has been awarded in the Ravelympics to BSJ Spring ;-) by fibernating.

The finished baby surprise jacket is knit in Spring colors, which happens by pure chance to mirror the colors of Vancouver. And the six buttons on yarn and pinned to the BSJ? There are five buttonholes on each side. The recipient can decide on which side to place 5 buttons with an extra included for that elusive lost button which always seems to occur!

Here is the Ravelympics medal in the WIPsdancing event.

The official ravthlete award is here shown.

And here is the list of those of us on the podium at this time.

EVENT: WIPs-Dancing

Please show your love to Ravthletes who have conquered their WIPs and transformed them into FOs!

HannahMathews Team Spatchcock 2 projects
Amigurple Team Knitural Selection
Plim Team Bitchcake
Kittenlion Team Seattle
Emmalein Team Germany 2 projects
insanKnitty Team Ravenclaw 3 projects
Derae Team True Blood
Racheltim Team Copper Boom
KnittinKat Team Wool-Aid
himawari Team Germany
shinyredtype Team Yarntopia NYC
tsukuyomi Team Germany
allicat Team Editors 2 projects
haramis Team Yarn Snobs
2gr8kids Team Happy
inoxia Team SKT
sarajay
hamstergal Team PANTS
2muchfun Team Yarn Hos Herding Cats
MLO Team Bitchcake
Sojournknitter Team WIP
Eevu Team Finland
yvonnep Team Pootje Over
Skookumgirl Team Michigan
berry149 Team Dodge Creations
sunrisedawn Team NoDak
orangeeener Team Tufty
loique Team Tufty
eyre Team Drool
beautyredefined Team Michigan
uncknitter Team Stashdown
knit2grow Team Afghans for Afghans
lovesmore Team Smart Ass Yarn Ho
shawn4equality Team Bundles Of Joy
fibernating Team Schoolhouse Press Knitters
Katri63 Team Starmore Knitdown
Grandy Team Madness in Progress
zanahoria12 Team Slytherins
Voxless Team Bad Knit Girls
JenDuzS0ks Team Rubberhoars
Littlemisssensible Team Ravelpaws 3 projects
thatdarnkt Team 4815162342
frenchiekisses Team Ooh Shiny!
kcknitter84 Team WIP
Plim Team Bitchcake
yarnvista Team Welcome
MamaMoo13 Team WIP
skookumgirl Team Michigan
knittlee
hiiragi
Debibo Team Sweet Stitchin’ Betties
springd Team UFO
Momo3Reds Team USA
FurmanKnitter08 Team ESK
Shellygirl Team Big Damn Heroes
velmalikevelvet Team COLORBOMBers

Please accept this lovely bouquet of snowdrops from the knit-clad Bobettes and crochet-covered Bobdudes.

Thank you, Ravelry! This is fun. I'm happy to add this to the other BSJ which will be donated to charity.

Cupid comes a courtin'

2010-02-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

Mr. Cupid AKA DH Russ brought me a wonderful Valentine present... a box of locally made Valos candy. We have truffles and pecan turtles and walnut turtles and white chocolate/key lime bark. I am very happy with this. It will last longer than cut flowers and will create a good attitude adjustment against the weather.

The Olympics coverage (Day #2 as NBC calls it yet seems like Day#1 for events!) last night was exciting to watch our first medals won! We have a conflict this afternoon between Olympic coverage and NASCAR's 1st race of the season, the always exciting Daytona!

In my Ravelympics, the BSJ shoulder seams are sewn along with its collar picked up. Also, there was knitting on Beth's afghan.

Ravelympics, Day #1

2010-02-13T11:25:00.003-08:00

Sharing this week's additional snow (which we'd love to send to Vancouver) and the first night's work on two Ravelympics events, up first we have --

a look through a living room window at the lilac bushes buried in snow. We cannot get to them to release them from their white blanket.

The eight inch snowfall following the 24 inch snowfall was able to be blown with our snow blower.

Really good news February 12, Lincoln's Birthday and the opening ceremony day for the Olympics and the Ravelympics is that Michelle sent out the emails for this summer's Meg Swansen's Knitting Camps. Really good? Oh, yes! We're in for 2.75!

During the Opening Ceremonies last night I worked on two of my Ravelympics events.

This Baby Surprise now has its ends woven. It's ready for shoulder seaming, collar, buttons! Its event is WIPsdancing for team SHPknitters.

The swatch for Beth's afghan grows. A reminder: It is Vanna's Choice in oatmeal, Lion Brand pattern Newbury Crossing. Event: slalomghan. No team on this one.

The event flyingcamelspin for team SHPknitters isn't up yet! Stay tuned for this one!

Wait till you see what Russ brought me for Valentine's Day!

From 11 to 24

2010-02-07T07:15:00.001-08:00

inches of snow.

We spent most of yesterday digging out. Up to 6 inches more is being predicted for Tuesday-Wednesday.

Is it Spring yet???

SNOW

2010-02-05T19:00:00.001-08:00

It's been snowing since 12:50 PM.
It took three hours for the snow to even stick.

It's snowing heavily, at least an inch an hour. We're under snow advisory until 6 PM tomorrow (Saturday). The snow is a wet, sticky snow, hard to shovel. I've already shoveled the entire driveway once and the lower part a second time. That was 4 hours ago. The good news: The wrist 'held'. The bad news: Tomorrow's shoveling will be Nasty. It may be too heavy for the snow blowers.

You're looking at the snow and a cyclone fence.

See all that snow on the gate? That's 11 (eleven) inches by the outer edge where the house doesn't block the snow.

The Weather Service wasn't kidding about 8-14".

TKGA MHK update (sort of)

2010-01-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

It's been a while...like, since May, that I've done any knitting on my Level 1.

First, I had to block my first three swatches. OK, that worked although the seed stitch swatch was the only one of the three I was really pleased with! Then as the swatches lay drying, DIP came to mess around in the renovation. (If you saw 2 of my dining room walls, then you'd know why I said 'mess around'.) Couldn't concentrate with him here. That lasted all Summer except for camp time. Then other projects. Then the arm/wrist/hand dilemma.

Several days ago I saw on Ravelry that the Level 1 instructions had been updated as of January 6. Oh, my. Well, that's OK because I haven't knit more swatches nor have I worked on the research since June. Today I emailed TKGA for the updated materials.

The hand in the picture here? I'm using it right now as the project pic for the Ravelry projects page. On a trip to Wisconsin from Arizona about ten years ago, we stopped at Mt. Rushmore where I'd found this and a mountain sheep ornament for the sheep tree.

Beth's Afghan

2010-01-18T10:57:00.001-08:00

Beth has requested an afghan.

Yes, I agreed to knit it as long as she chooses the pattern and the yarn.

Vanna's Choice in Oatmeal, pattern "Newbury Crossing", both by Lion Brand is what she chose. The panels are knitted with yarn doubled. There are four panels which are then connected.

Clover 8mm, US 11, 24" is the circular needle I'm using. It gives me a bit larger gauge as we want the afghan larger than the pattern suggests.

So far, and what you see is my current swatch, it's knitting well. The yarn is a rayon acrylic so it can be machine washed and dried, which is a preferable trait for an afghan.

Can you believe a little sunshine this afternoon? I grabbed the opportunity to shoot this swatch pic on the kitchen table while a bit of sun brightens this MLK holiday of sadness for the people of Haiti.

There is more knitting!

2010-01-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

The wrist has improved so that this is where we are with a BSJ for charity. I plan on using this as part of my Ravelympics entries. It's named BSJ Spring ;-)...since this was started in below zero windchill, the colors 'spoke' to me.

Knitting with a 24" #5, I am using Caron yarns previously purchased and used in other projects. (There is) Nothing like utilizing a bit of the yarn stash! In this case, acrylics and acrylic washable blends are encouraged.

Nikki loves his prezzie.

2010-01-11T09:45:00.001-08:00

Unlike some gift recipients, Nikki continues to be pleased with this year's catnip mouse, his Christmas prezzie.

He's an old kitty, born in 1994. Nikki still loves to play and purr and warm up laps.

Knitted with love Christmas prezzies are best!

It continues.

2010-01-10T06:25:00.001-08:00

The clouds scoured out yesterday and with them, Winter doldrums. Gorgeous cloudless blue sky ensued. Temperatures zoomed to the high 20's.

This morning temperatures were between minus 16 and one degree above zero.

Sunsnow.

It continues.

Tawny says

2010-01-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

sometimes

the

best

thing

to

do when

it snows

for weeks

is

to simply enjoy it!

Prickly Pear handspun hat on a Snow Day

2010-01-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

Much as DH is the greatest fiber enabler imaginable, he just doesn't (usually) wear sweaters or scarves or hats or mittens, store-bought or handknit.

Today as the temps dropped and another band of snow also changed the the two hour school delay to our first Snow Day, Russ asked for one of my handknit hats to finish clearing driveways!

This handspun was one of my first natural dyeing attempts when we lived in Arizona. The grey is a grey corriedale from Minnesota, but the peachy color is natural dyeing from prickly pear cactus tunas we had in our Cochise yard. Yes, the hat was made with two partial skeins and there was a color variation.

To make the prickly pear dye I picked the prickly pear fruit (called tunas, pronounced like tuna fish), steam/boiled, "smooshed", then drained through cheesecloth to remove cactus spines. In the dyeing process, the skeins were submerged in the hot but not boiling cactus juice with vinegar used to set the color. This dye retained its vibrancy for several years, now mellowing to an Arizona sunrise colorway.

Roc(k) Day

2010-01-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

She layeth her hands to the spindle,
and her hands hold the distaff.
[Proverbs 31:19]

In many cultures, Roc(k) Day, January 7, was the day to return to work as the Christmas season (no work, all party) ended January 6. In the days of those who had to spin for clothing and linens, the girls/women were busily back at their wheels and the boys/men pulled pranks on them, teasing as the work season resumed, sooner for some than for others.

Oh, and in case you get a chance to see the Skacel "Addiction" ad on the back cover of "Verena" Winter 2010, the knitter is a fine friend of ours from Camp 2.0 in 2006, Dolores' roomie, Franklin. What a photo.

Remember the Season

2010-01-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

Remember the sheep stocking? Yarn Elf says that stockings come in twos. Being such, Yarn Elf sent Russ a deer mini-stocking he knit for DH. He couldn't find a proper school bus and DH normally sees a lot of deer on his runs. DH is very pleased.

What season is it?

I just couldn't let this fuchsia in the hanging basket from the back porch go this year. So often fuchsias die before the first frost. This hanging plant just keeps blooming, including in the kitchen when it's snowing outside! Unfortunately the amaryllis prefers sending out beautiful leaves to beautiful flowers.

Snow. Grrr. It's been snowing 8 days straight and there's more to come. PITA.

What are you doin' NY Eve?

2009-12-31T06:47:00.001-08:00

Tawny wants to know what YOU are doing New Year's Eve? He thinks being by the fireplace is a particularly good place since...

THIS is what Russ and I awoke to and have been taking care of. This is an inch and a half of the wettest, heaviest snow possible. Right now there's been a misty rain/occasional snowflake.

Hope your New Year's Eve is a safe one. Ours will be quiet. (Except for the valley idiots who will be shooting off guns at midnight and fireworks every hour on the hour from dark-thirty through about 2 AM, 2010.)

The green hint

2009-12-29T11:50:00.001-08:00

from yesterday's post is...The Green Sweater.

This story and the desire for the pattern and newly found original yarn then the newly dyed matching yarn spread through the knitting world faster than fast! "twist collective", the online knitting magazine,told The Tale of the Green Sweater from two perspectives, that of the recipient of the original green sweater who was gifted it by her godmother, Elizabeth Zimmermann; plus, the story of the green sweater's recreation by Sunday Holm. There was so much interest that Sunday did work up the pattern for publication as a SHP pattern. The original yarn/kit was sold out in literally minutes from the time Michelle announced its availability along with the pattern. Such a response!

In this picture you can see the pattern and the original single ply Briggs&Little fir yarn. Because it is single ply and could torque, it is suggested by the mill that the yarn be rewound into center pull balls and let sit for a couple days. What's that little green sweater? It's a chalkware green sweater with a "Knit On" pendant that I found in Smicksburg several years ago. Now how appropriate is that?

There were other wonderful fibery presents this Christmas, too! Three books, gift certificates to World Wide Hobbies in Willcox from Yarn Vixen and Yarn Rat, some terra cotta and fun fur yarns for a rolled brim hat, two more three drawer containers to organize yarn! All are wonderful and will be seen later on.

...Guess I should get going on that turkey-filled turkey gravy and baking powder biscuits for dinner....

Do you suppose

2009-12-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

that it is time to give the ham and turkey breaks to go here to eat? (Answer: No!)

There is a series of Cracker Barrel ornaments but this was the one I liked best when I saw them last year. This year only one kids' fantasy tree of their usual three was set up during our last visit in September so no additional ornament was found.

Santa brought knitterly goodness, stay tuned! (Hint: Green!)

There was anticipation

2009-12-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

for Christmas!

The Santas were on the mantel. On the left is the Fredericksburg, TX carved Santa I got on our honeymoon. Then the Coast-to-Coast (Willcox,AZ) Santa reminding me of the Northwoods and Scandinavia. Thirdly is the Jim Shore Santa from here which has my beloved sheep in his fold.

Sheep? Did we say sheep? The sheep tree is enjoyed from its vantage point on top the entertainment center.

The stockings were all hung by the chimney with care....

Unwrapping

2009-12-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

Nikki and Tawny were particularly intrigued with unwrapping presents this year. In my hand is a MarroBone, which Nikki licked and Tawny scarfed down. Better doggie treats than his people's chocolate!

A Sheep for Christmas

2009-12-25T17:02:00.000-08:00

I got a sheep for Christmas!

Yarn Elf knit this mini-stocking for me. Very Special.

God Jul.

First (real) Snow 12/19/09

2009-12-19T06:17:00.000-08:00

W-w-what?

Yesterday's lack of snow is followed by what started at 9:55 last night and continues lightly but steadily.

One to three inches predicted total has already manifested into over three inches and we have hours to go yet.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Really, I am here....

2009-12-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

Barbar thinks the Faroese Stranded Footlets from Marilyn Van Kepple's KAL will be useful this weekend.

Yes, I really did finish them since the last blog post! This weekend, starting about midnight tonight, we are to have snow, a limited commodity this season to date. (That doesn't hurt my feelings any!) You can tell in the picture that there isn't any snow outside! We've had only a tad over a trace here so far. Snow will make it seem a lot colder and my feet will be so happy in the footlets.

My wrist is still irritating at times and painful when I overdo. This has not been fun at all.

Oh, and the vehicles in the picture? The yellow car is cardboard from Steak 'n' Shake for the little boy (DH) in my life! The blue police car is a radio that Mom got Russ our first year here. Very useful, it is.

Happy last weekend before Christmas!

It's beginning

2009-12-01T12:16:00.000-08:00

to look a lot like Christmas, at least in the house.

Later this week snow is once again predicted, this time to stick. Hasn't yet, so we'll see how the prognosticators make out this time!

Outside there are two dandelions blooming, the bee balm continues as does my happy little bluebonnet that's been blooming continuously since August!

It was a busy weekend with lots of Christmas shopping, all the Thanksgiving goodies, house decorating. Presents are to be wrapped and the only ones due in now are the SHP ones Russ called about to pay for yesterday. Shipping has been very quick so far this season. Still have Russ' stocking to finish buying for and a couple other things. Need to get Tawny's present and make Nikki's 2009 catnip mouse. Oh...then all the cards to write, too!

And the turkey? Tonight's menu is turkey in turkey gravy over biscuits.

Lookin' Up!

2009-11-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

Thank you for asking how the arm, wrist and hand are after the barrel won that round.
Things are looking up!
Today's progress is the following:

There are two of these pumpkin pies, now in the refrigerator.

These 7 custard cups, shown baking in the oven, are the leftover pumpkin filling. Custard cups with custard in them! Who would have thought that they had a purpose other than to be stacked in a cupboard?

One thawing 20 pound turkey is now nicely thawed in wait for tomorrow's bread stuffing. (That's chunked bread, 2 sticks melted butter, diced onion, thinly sliced celery, dashes of salt and lemon pepper.) Russ is moving the turkey around for me as the wrist is not ready to support the weight of a frozen 20 pound turkey quite yet.

Can you believe two matching slippers? Yes, I finally finished the second one as wrist and hand allowed.

Finally, but not least, Happy Thanksgiving Thursday to those of us living in the USA or Overseas who celebrate our many blessings.

Barrel 1, Nancy 0

2009-11-15T08:13:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday when DH still had to rest due to his port being removed and stitches were still 'fresh', I partially emptied the old burn barrel onto the compost pile, turned the pile, added more, then pulled on the barrel to replace it with new barrel. Sigh. The top third snapped off and so did my arm and wrist. The swelling is nearly gone now, still some bruising and I should be able to knit again tonight....a little.

'Meanwhile back at the ranch', the weather has been beautiful and yesterday DH took the leaf blower and cleaned off the back porch (sweeping is a no-no for the wrist) and blew more leaves from the yard into the garden.

First up, Russ is at the back left corner of the fenced portion of the yard.
(Notice blue sky!)

Second, here's DH's close to the garden. (Notice new burn barrel's shadow. Russ whupped the old one into shape for Mother Nature to finish recycling.)

How deep the new leaves are on Russ' boots!

The garden has been lightly tilled for winter by Brian and his trusty Gravely. We'd put homegrown compost, two barrels'-worth of sheep manure on the garden, then leaves two weeks ago and again yesterday. Uh, no, I didn't help yesterday except to take the progress photos.

Here's a cropped photo of the Gravely at work. This is an older, still cast iron Gravely. Heavy? Oh, yeah. Impermeable? Absolutely. Reliable? Always.

Beautiful November

2009-11-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

A
Saturday
in November
in the low 60's!
Even though it has frosted heavily several times, lavender is still blooming! Trees have dropped nearly all their leaves, sparrows are raising their last fledglings. Russ' surgery went well yesterday for port removal and colonoscopy (clear), so we feel very, very blessed.

We'll enjoy this while we have it, knowing winter-like weather will also most likely be ours this month.

Footlet time

2009-11-04T09:44:00.001-08:00

November in PA means slipper time and Marilyn Van Keppel's patterns being shared on the SHP KAL are just the slippers!

The KAL gives the option for stranded Scandinavian footlets or solid ones. Marilyn shares that Scandinavians often do not wear shoes in their homes so create these footlets to wear throughout their homes.

Here I'm sharing pictures of one of each. I've posed them in different positions to share that they do, indeed fit! Now, this is amazing considering that shoes and slippers and I have a hard time fitting comfortably. The acrylic ones are good for milder weather, while, the stranded ones are very warm right away. Sounds 'pretty good OK' for this 'grrl' who tends toward cold feet in colder climes.

Details (you do want details, right?):

Solid: Red Heart Soft Yarn (acrylic), Cherry Red

Stranded: Brown Sheep Prairie Silk "Buck" and Paton's SWS "Natural Green"
(Thank you, Yarn Elf!)

Needles: #5 16" circulars, 2 for each footlet;plus, straight #5 and crochet hook size D, tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

The solid ones have three stitches at the beginning of the foot top section while the stranded ones have seven stitches to accommodate the star pattern. The two footlets do fit differently because of this, but only in a good way.

These are welcome additions to my Ugg boots.

Thank you, Marilyn, and SHP for the KAL. Guess I should try out the next footlets, too, right?

More Autumn Splendor

2009-10-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Today is even more gorgeous than the weekend! The following pictures are some of those promised when I'd said I be sharing more.

First up is a Canadian goose at Northmoreland Park with the boathouse in the background. This was all farmland when I went to school.

Fallen logs, mosses and ferns with the lake through the trees at Northmoreland call to me to photograph.

These next two are on Ridge Road, a lake that was built last year.

Right on the edge of Burrell Township and Parks Township, this area has been spectacular every year.

Stranded Faroese Footlets

2009-10-25T16:33:00.001-07:00

The other day I showed my solid red Faroese Footlet started for the KAL, the pattern shared by Marilyn van Keppel.
Meg added the written directions in a pdf. for a stranded version with the Scandinavian star pattern shared earlier in the week. I could not wait for the next KAL post or for finishing my first footlets after Meg posted. Plus...

just look at this mini-maple in its glory, peaking through the cyclone fence. I look out the window here in the living room where my laptop is currently resting and I see these leaves. They look like stranded or fair isle inspiration to me.

Details so far:
pattern from SHP KAL
#5 circular(s)
Brown Sheep Prairie Silks in "Buck" colorway and Paton's SWS in 'green'.

Sunday in the Park

2009-10-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

Today dawned as sunny as yesterday was cloudy.

A trip to Northmoreland Park is overdue. Just ask Tawny. Just ask Tawny's Fan Club who have been asking for Tawny-Park pictures.

Look at those geese! As we were there, more Canada geese came in. Love those honkers!

Tawny is not excited about sitting pretty. There are too many wonderful, fresh scents to discover and in which to indulge.

Three Mallard duck males are in this inlet. See them? If you click on the picture to enlarge it, the details really show. It was so soggy here. Water was seeping across the brick walkway. I tried to walk down to the water's edge and I succeeded;but, sank into three inches of boggy grass.

On the way back to the truck, Russ and Tawny posed for this shot. Leaves have dropped off 80% of the woodland vegetation, but it is still a lovely afternoon.

We just couldn't resist this lovely tree by the parking lot.

A few more photos are waiting to be shared later on, too!

Leafy, Sheepy Saturday

2009-10-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is one heck of a burning bush! Isn't it gorgeous?

We've had enough rain, a half inch in the last 24 hours. No sunshine today for leaf peeping, but that didn't stop us this morning!

We needed to return a rope to Amy and the sheep were nearby; so, I couldn't resist a couple sheep pics. In the sheep panorama above, can you spot Chumley in the far right? Chumley is the guard llama. A most handsome fellow, he is. Amy and her Westie (who only wanted to herd and 'help' today, never when Amy wants him to) are feeding "the girls" a treat.

As Russ was driving Ridge Road, he stopped and backed up, saying, "I know you want to take a picture of that log." He's getting to understand a 'photographer's eye'!

This is another favorite spot of Russ' each fall. I showed this area last year from the opposite direction. Since we have been seeing the area the last five years, it is fascinating to compare how differently the leaves change each year. The woodlands are consistent in change. Their evolving micro-environments provide intrigue to those who watch. There are areas that had been farmed, logged, pastured. There are dry, rocky, swampy areas.

Along Chestnut Road near the creek, the ferns haven't been frosted yet and are being covered by leaves while still green. On top of the surrounding hills, the ferns are bronzed and becoming brittle.

Of course there were more photographic exploits. We'll share some more later. All photos are clickable for enlarging.

knitting and gardening

2009-10-23T14:42:00.001-07:00

go together like the proverbial horse and carriage in my world. in fact, still have the holes in the garage ceiling from the hooks that held the surrey above the car! until the next footlet post is given on the KAL, the 'summer drooping elm' has had my attention. it has doubled in size since showing it a few days ago. (click pic to enlarge!)

it's been raining most of today, so the leaf pictures are from the inside looking out.

we are both so pleased to have gotten garden and yard work accomplished yesterday.
russ keeps saying how happy he is to have gotten the manure dumped...

and spread yesterday morning.

some prunings, a bit of leftover compost and some yard dirt start off the compost pile after i shoveled the old pile on the garden before the sheep manure. The sheep manure is mixed with chicken goodie and straw. this will give the garden nutritional elements it hasn't seen under our 'watch'.

today's rain after four glorious 'anglo autumn' days is depressing but is standing us in good garden stead.

Which season, including knitting?

2009-10-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Last week a high of 39 and today? 70. The ladybugs are out and about. In droves. Toadstools/mushrooms aren't doing badly, either.

Last Sunday we had some company whose 9 year old wondered what the drum carder was? Well, I had to show him how it operates, right? And what did I have to card? Tawny fur! Then, what does one do with a carded batt? Spin it! Dad and son, in particular, were intrigued by the spinning wheel and how it works. Dad was really curious...Mom was interested but gave father and son room to investigate.

Yesterday started out cool but not even any dew was on the grass. DH decided it was a good time to mow 'for the last time this season'. Uh, I don't think so; but, we'll just nod in agreement at the moment.

Today I went with DH for his mammogram. It's been five years since his mastectomy. And when we got home, what greeted us? This Christmas Cactus is blooming!!! It must really like being transplanted into Miracle Gro potting soil and a new pot, plus its new location! This is the absolute earliest I have ever seen a Christmas Cactus bloom. Plus, this one usually is a Valentine's Day bloomer!

While in the waiting room at the hospital today, I knitted 8 rows on my " Summer Drooping Elm" but today also started the SHP KAL of Faroese Footlets, shared by Marilyn vanKeppel. I'm knitting a solid version first and then, hopefully, a stranded version if I can knit these to fit. I have a terrible problem with footsies fitting, so let's keep our fingers crossed!

elm and leaves

2009-10-19T11:51:00.001-07:00

We had our first frost here last night which yielded raining leaves this morning.
While it can, a volunteer elm in the back yard has offered its young limbs and leaves as a backdrop and support for the project I've picked back up this weekend, "Drooping Summer Elm". I'd taken this stole/scarf with us in July but didn't hardly work on it other than to share the cast on at camp. To review, it's a Montse Stanley double loop twist cast on, a pattern from Barbara Walker and Cascade Heritage yarn knit on a #6 Addi Lace Turbo 24" circular.

Nut trees and maples and wild currants are changing colors but mostly they are dropping leaves faster than they can show their splendor. (Click on pictures for detail!)

Eggplants and grapes were hit very hard by heavy frost. The baby white ghost eggplants that were too small to pick yesterday just don't appear possible to develop for a dinner later on. They would have loved the 70 degree weather predicted later on this week, as will we.

Mittday

2009-10-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

Terry's fingerless gansey patterned mitts are finished!

It's still 40 degrees, as it has been for 3 days. At least it's not raining or snowing this morning. We didn't have any snow here but the Pittsburgh airport had a trace. Now with these mitts, though, I'm ready!
(Click to embiggen!)

Thanks to DH, we have pictures of the mitts being modeled.

Details of the knit:

*Less than one skein of Cascade 220 in Doeskin

*10" straight needles, one size 5 and one size 6

*pattern is a Mystery knit from HMGA Yahoo group, Terry Liann Morris, designer

Stupid. Weather. 24 deg. below average high.

2009-10-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today's average high is 63 but we could have flurries with the continued rain tomorrow. State College (where Penn State is located) already has slushy snow on the ground. This is not an Ides of October practical joke. (Beware the Ides of....) Yuck.

Here are some yard pics from today in the rain.

This is the prettiest poison ivy gets! It's been in the hedge for decades.

The cinnamon fern is getting ready for winter.

Here's that recurring October-blooming honeysuckle with maple leaves and witch hazel.

Knitting? I'm knitting on the second Cascade 220 fingerless mitt.

Hand cover season

2009-10-12T08:08:00.001-07:00

Just because it's October, the home of Leif Erikson Day (9th) and Columbus Day (today) and All Hallow's Eve (31st) doesn't mean we'd have to start wearing Winter clothes. Unfortunately, the weather systems are sending us some 'northern exposure' with warmer clothes coming out of all their hidey-holes.

I knit with wool in every season, and this year I actually wore my flannel jacket and handknit wool socks in every month. That really did not thrill this tshirt and shorts lovin' grrl. This week here in Pennsyltucky, it will be time for hand coverings, more layers and socks.

Mystery #8 in the Holiday Mystery Gift-Along Yahoo group is Terry's fingerless mitts/mittens. So far, about 60% is knit on mitt #1. Don't you just love the gansey texture? (Click to embiggen!)

Promised Modeling Shots

2009-10-11T13:42:00.001-07:00

Remember? This is where we were two days ago...
And...
Here we are today with Tawny celebrating, too!

Thank you, DH, for being our photographer.

Falling

2009-10-11T10:37:00.001-07:00

are some of the leaves without even changing color very much.

We took 2 plastic barrels out to our friends Pete and Amy's for sheep manure and took these pictures along the way. It's too wet to gather the manure today, so Pete will have the barrels ready for us next weekend.
I just had to take a picture this year of the barn with the Mail Pouch tobacco sign painted on it. The paint's brilliance is fading each year. With so few of these barn signs left, I like recording this part of history while I can.
Peak leaf peeping here is usually about the 17th of October, so we'll be watching the leaves this week and sharing what we find.

It took a week

2009-10-10T18:19:00.001-07:00

to reach my mailbox once it crossed the border, but this Jamieson's shetland skein shipment is well worth the wait. This helps add not only to my shetland stash but to the possibilities for future projects. We know from this last sweater (Solstice Forest, WG #79 pullover)that my mind can change frequently and all I need is the palette of with which to work most effectively.

Anne Featonby of Sheeweknits (www.sheeweknits.com) has been selling out her inventory and still has some left. I'm happy to be your enabler, in this case! I've linked her blog. Anne is wonderful with whom to work. Thank you, Anne!

Living Room is Done!

2009-10-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

Russ installed the second set of painted ceiling fan blades today between his runs.

Here are the before and after shots.

We really like them painted, thinking that they reflect more light and no longer look like bugs stuck on the ceiling!

What do you think?

Solstice Forest (WG #79) is blocking!

2009-10-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Solstice Forest... I loved knitting this sweater! There really is something to Nikki being a Knitting Guard Cat. He hasn't been up on this bed since the last time I blocked knitting on it back in May. Solstice Forest was soaking and as I was placing the towels on the comforter, Nikki came in purring his loudest.

The neckline is the only part of the sweater I've pinned. Even with EZ's Sewn Castoff, the stockinette is trying to roll a bit.
Where's the modeling shot? It'll appear when the sweater is dry. As a hint: I am really, really pleased with SF try-ons before being blocked.

WG #79 Yoke update

2009-10-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

All four of these WG #79 yoke pictures were taken this morning in different light. Much as I "play" with photoshop, the 'true' yarn colors speak as they wish, not as I see them or you would see them were you here.

And, yes, even a black and white version!

Retreat progress

2009-10-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Since Thursday afternoon's photo, the weather turned grey and stormy Friday, yielding much knitting time. This yoke consumed me.
Just to show both sides of the yoke so far, Solstice Forest is by the coleus. I've gone into the second branch with "ivory", a pinkish beige cast to the ecru. In some light the difference between the ecru and the ivory is non-existent. (Click to embiggen.)
Again this morning I dove into the Shetland stash to find additional colors. Looking at them in different lighting conditions is essential since how they mesh with each other and yoke colors is very different in various light sources. Under fluorescent, incandescent, natural Northern light (the perfect artist's light), sun on the white picnic table, dappled sunlight -- all yield the nuances of the Shetland colors and how they play against and with each other.
All the coiless pins separate the 15 stitch repeats. And the SS Badger charm? It indicates the beginning of each row and our ferry ride across Lake Michigan several summers ago.

My own Colorwork Retreat

2009-10-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend must be the busiest of all for knitting retreats and festivals. The Autumnal Equinox has passed and the Winter Solstice stares us down as snow has been falling in the West.

"Solstice Forest" (WG #79, Yoke Pullover) now has her sleeves joined to body, short rows and stockinette rows approaching yoke, colorwork begun. Then there was the changing of colors last night in the dimly lit hallway out of the Shetland yarn storage drawers. I double checked the choices this morning in the sun (yes, sun!) on the porch yet last night was one of those moments of "must do Now" light bulb ideas. I changed out the warm brown for a mossy green brown mix, reminiscent of our apple tree in Winter.

Colorwork and cables are addictive for me..."just one more row" or "must finish this color/pattern" or "just one more...." It was really difficult to put her up last night after midnight when sleep would be short but dreams would be in color.

"Solstice Forest", colorwork retreat 2009, awaits.

The Mystery is Solved!

2009-09-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

It's a Hot Cup Pincher! It protects your thumb and finger(s) when holding a hot cup! Steph on the Yahoo HMGA list suggested it might be good to protect fingers from the always-hot knobs on the top of Corningware lids. How right she is!

Thanks, Terry, such fun!

Happy birth month to me!

2009-09-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a good birthday, yes, it has!

On Saturday when we were celebrating my birthday since Russ had a full schedule for yesterday, we found this really neat 3 drawer chest with a real Canadian maple top at Lowe's. Inside the three drawers is my handspun that had been stored in Russ' gun cabinet. I really like this little critter and hope that I can get more of them. It's much better and nicer than the standard Sterling ones available at other box stores.

On top of the cabinet, are 12 skeins of "buck" colorway Prairie Silks yarn, spun and dyed by Brown Sheep Co. in Mitchell, NE sent to me by Yarn Elf. Yarn Vixen sent a card and a gift certificate to Yarn Elf's Workshop AKA World Wide Hobbies in Willcox, AZ plus a sock pattern and a project bag YE included. There are also cards there from Beth and from State Farm with the standard birthday individual pizza freebie. In Willcox, we used to get free ice cream cones at Carter's. More people used that gift than use this one to a place no one who doesn't live in Leechburg seems to go to.

Some people get tractors on birthday cakes and some get balloons that are yarn balls! Cake is from The Big Guy, as is the card. The cake is white almond. Dinner was cake and Digorno pizza. Hungry yet?

The spatterware pitcher and bowl I bought about 20 years ago and decorate it depending on mood and season.

Thanks to all on Ravelry and through regular email who send love yesterday. Everyone needs good, positive thoughts and cyberhugs.

Mystery #1 Clue #2 HMGA

2009-09-22T11:13:00.001-07:00

This is truly a mystery.

I don't suck my thumb/binkie so I do not need a thumb protector.
We still have stitches on a holder.
There's a third clue tomorrow.

Oh, wait! It's a helmet protector for the traveling troll who keeps falling on his head in all the commercials!!! (Believe that and I'll sell you a swamp....)

I'm the last rose of summer

2009-09-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

the proverbial "they" have told me all my life...

So... with the nearly wild rose, the "Solstice Forest" (WG 79) sweater shows its progress (body, one sleeve completed, second sleeve started) as of the last summer sun two days ago for this Autumn Equinox drizzly day. The equinox arrives at 5:18 PM today and my celebration officially starts at 5:58 PM!

Hopefully the "Solstice Forest" will be finished for its day.

HMGA Mystery #1

2009-09-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Again, the Holiday Mystery Gift Along designers have begun to tease us with fun projects. There was a Surprise project just ahead of this year's Blast Off. Then the first two projects. And now, taa-daa, the first mystery project!

With leftover sock yarn, size 0 double points (using only two to start out) and the daily Mystery Clues, we'll create projects that will amaze!

Here is my Mystery #1 Clue #1 picture from the clue I downloaded this morning, my dblpts, and Blue Moon Fiberarts sock yarn. The group meets at Yahoo and on Ravelry. Don't we just love a mystery?

You just never know

2009-09-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

what you'll find when housecleaning the plates your mother collected for decades.

This plate came from either my grandmother Hunter or great grandmother Christian.

The designs are transfers with gold adornment. But in the very center is a courtship scene of a knitter and her beau.

I've never needed to collect many plates as my mother seldom saw a plate she didn't like. This one is not my 'style', but it does show that someone in my heritage appreciated knitting. My grandmother did not knit, only sewed, so I'm not sure exactly what the connection is unless the original owner simply liked the unmarked plate.

Sorry, I thought I'd shown you...

2009-09-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

all the lovelies I brought back from camp!

We have my name tag I made last year as part of Lizbeth Upitis' KAL for Latvian Mittens over this year's camp tote. This is one terrific tote! I love the pockets. Already it is holding my Yoke sweater project for which some of the J&S shetland bought at camp but not nearly all shown here is meant.

Catch a glimpse of this year's t-shirt! If you were here, you'd see it in person since I have it on today. These two blues really go well with all the denim in the dresser drawers. There was more than one color possible to order, but this was my favorite color combination of this year's choices.

Other yarn is Jamieson's 2 ply Shetland and Satakieli cast on for M'Lou's Art Deco Tam. (Guess it wasn't too soon to show!) The Jamieson's I bought, admittedly, is more than one skein. Just one is shown here. The plan for the Jamieson's is a sweater color-based on a picture of blue cheese. I don't mind the laughter I'm hearing, telling that. We also have the 5x7 note pad and free samples off the back table.

I had to grab some fascinating books. Beautiful Sheep is a lovely 'coffee table' book. The Herbert Niebling lace patterns are so lovely I wilt. Then the wonderful SHPP of the Dale Long sweater and the 2 socks at once one inside the other fill out this year's patterns. I know. Was I sick? I usually buy more books than this. Hmmm. I must work on this.

The Cardigan Details DVD has some techniques shown in it that I have needed some review for producing them, so this DVD was on my pre-camp list!

And the needles are too good to be last, but something has to be! The Pryn (Inox) needles I bought to fill in some holes and for duplicated of much-used sizes. The KnitPicks Harmony needles are my wonderful, never imagined but greatly appreciated prize for the Recycled Knits contest entry, the recycle garden flag.

We had the Best time this year. DH and I agree that it was not only the best part of our summer, but, our best camp yet. DH? Yes, DH asks all the time who I've heard from that day. He loves knitters.

No Mistakin' #27

2009-09-15T14:01:00.001-07:00

Dobbin's Anti-Viral Kleenex box cover is seeing the world!

So often, it is difficult to read a bus number when facing a school bus. Doesn't seem like #27 now has that problem, does it?

Russ changed out tissue boxes and covers between his first and second runs this morning. The second run is the elementary run. First on the bus, Peyton, exclaims, "Wow! Where'd you get that?" Second on the bus, Dakota, is getting on and asks the same thing. Two elementary boys noticing such things! They had to "pet" it, too! I think it's a hit.

Details:
Begun Sept. 02, 2009
Finished Sept. 14, 2009

Yarns
Bernat Super Value 100% acrylic for washability
color 608 Bright Yellow (AKA School Bus Yellow)
7421 Black

Needles
US 5 24" Addi turbo
US 4 24" Addi turbo
US 4 16" Addi turbo
Clover Giant Tapestry Needle

The Bernat suggest a US #8 needle, but I wanted this to be firm and I knit loosely.

Cast on in yellow 40 stitches for each long side and 20 for each short side. (120 sts) The fact that the long sides are 9" and the short sides are 3" is useful here; as,the purl back will stretch horizontally and although the stretch is helpful for putting the cover on and off, it is not helpful while cover is in use. I used long tail cast on but a provisional cast on would be better.

On each row for 22 rows, purl 1, knit 38, purl 2, knit 18, purl 2, knit 38, purl 2, knit 18, purl 1.

For one row (top of box) purl all around.

For top, use SSK and K2tog decreases at corners each row. Whether the SSK or the K2tog is first depends upon at which corner the project has been started.

When I got to a good place for the tissue opening, I switched to the black and knit 2rows then a 2 stitch Icord bind off. I knit up (picked up and knit)each yellow blip underneath in black and knit a k1tbl (knit one through back loop), purl 1 ribbing with continued decreasing at the corners. Bind off in pattern.

Next, I knit up from yellow cast on edge in black and continued the same ribbing as on top for 2".

Final step was to chart out Russ' preferred "27" and duplicate stitch the numbers on each long side.

I would make some changes in the next one. A provisional cast on is preferable. A yet smaller needle size would also be best for my looser tension.

Russ loves it!

Schoolin' --FI and Dbl K

2009-09-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

It's been two months now since we came home from our wonderful Wisconsin/Michigan trek. Finally this house is looking more like a home than a junk heap. I finished a project and will blog about it later. Life is feeling more centered.

On the way home we stopped at "Sarey June's" (Russ-speak, as Linda says!) for a terrific tour of four Lansing area yarn shops.

Here, Sarah and I are in front of Threadbear. For years I'd looked at their website and followed their blogs. Things are changing there, as they do anywhere, but I'm sorry we missed meeting the guys and the dogs, although Sabrina and the crew were wonderful.

At Threadbear I was so very pleased to find Sarah's patterns on display, for sale. It makes me proud to know her and watch her doing well.

Although I kept taking pictures of things, I did not get inside pictures of what became my Lansing LYS of choice. Maybe this was because I felt so immediately at home at Woven Art. Nancy wasn't there that day, either. She does beautiful work, and I was particularly fond of the background music!

We're working backward in the progression here, but Lake Michigan must be included. That day was beautiful temperature and sky-wise. It was, however, very windy and the speed was lowered on the bridge in anticipation of possible closure due to winds in the 32 mph range and the bridge closes at 35 mph. We could feel the bridge swaying just a bit. All traffic drove the center lanes. Do you see the whitecaps on the lake? All pics are clickable to embiggen!}

Although school has started here in real time, at camp the minicourses develop in both a planned manner and on-the-spot. We had get-up-in-front-of-the-camera minicourses from Bridget, Al, Maggie, Janine and this very talented M'Lou Baber with others sharing constantly. Here's she's wearing her signature doubleknit nametag vest.
M'Lou shared the Art Deco hat pattern and methodology that are shown in her book on double knitting. The hat pattern is on the errata page at SHP site, as it was not included in the original printing of the book and many requests for the accessory hat were heard throughout the land. I've started the Art Deco tam but haven't really gotten far enough yet to share...or maybe I have. We'll see!!!

Janine Bajus the Feralknitter shared a capsulized version of her fair isle workshop with us. This had been a request during 2008 camp but Janine didn't have materials with her to share in handouts or samples which clarify the spoken word.

Right before lunch, Janine had gotten everything ready for her presentation and it was sitting on the front table by the camera, waiting to be shared. I loved the layout, as well as Janine's clear explanation of her method. Go ahead and click on the picture -- don't you just love all the possibilities?

Janine doesn't just "teach", but also "does". This fair isle yoke is a sweater Janine has been working on. I believe it's "Aunt Esther's Yoke Sweater" (I may be wrong.) My Aunt Syster had a life-long friend and housemate Esther in Stockholm, so I feel particular connection with this yoke. Should we be reminded that it's in the Swedish colors? I don't remember Janine talking about that, but it struck me immediately.

Still painting, we are! Knitting, too!

2009-09-13T11:34:00.001-07:00

Yes, the painting continues.

Yesterday Russ spent almost all day working on the entry hallway. Here, he is sanding the window at the bottom of the stairs. See all those rose canes outside? I pruned them down from 15 feet to 6.5 feet yesterday while Russ worked on the inside of the window. They'll be pruned again later in the season. This window is the one that Allen and Russ replaced the cords in two weeks ago and now has been primed and painted and "Kilzed" and painted. Kilz is The best stain and bleed-through killer. Later on today the 'scarf' will go back on the rod for the finished look.

Russ didn't only work on the window, but also the coat closet door, the wooden wall panels beneath the stairs and on the railing upstairs. Today he worked touch up and second coats on several areas. He also tested the paint on the front doors in two spots to see what it'll look like with one coat and then with a second coat. Before being painted the four front doors need to be sanded and primed and...well, the whole sequence. They also need new strips at the bottom. As Russ said, we need them finished before frost arrives.

Several days ago I took this shot to finish off the 35mm film. Tawny looks so happy to have his living room back! He isn't the only one! We are planning on painting the ceiling fan blades nice and glossy white, though. For two days I worked on washing all the contents of the six milk crates I had filled with dining room and displaced kitchen cabinet contents. All are now empty with the crates back in the cellar. It takes a lot longer doing the Spring/Fall housecleaning of china cabinets when doing it by myself.

Yellow! Yes, yellow and white and bright and cheerful is the dining room. Do you suppose that it might just be possible that I'll actually want to use this room as a dining room now? You'll notice painting supplies on the chest to the left. That's Russ' "staging area" for his trim work. Although the living room and entry have new curtains, we haven't gotten new ones for any other room yet. So, if these curtains look familiar from prior photos, that's why.

There really has been a little knitting going on. This isn't the greatest picture, but it is Dobbin's Kleenex box cover in its current state. Ends still need to be woven and #27 is still to be duplicate stitched on each long side of the cover. I wanted it able to be seen, though, the yellow "blips" under the top where-to-pull-out-the-Kleenex opening.

The blips will be basically unnoticeable when all is said and done. I'd changed colors from the school bus yellow to the black by knitting two rows then doing a two stitch I-cord. That was a bit too flimsy for kid-use. So, then I picked up on the yellow blips with a knit one back, purl one rib. The ribbing is cast off in pattern. Picked up from the cast on is the same ribbing pattern on the bottom. The current plastic canvas cover (from #66 use) is sturdy enough to just slip over the box, unlike this knitted version. Plus, in #66 there was a "package tray" under the dash where the box could sit. That same tray isn't part of #27's makeup.

Labor Day Week(end) Laboring

2009-09-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

Pretty much typical to form, we are laboring this Labor Day weekend.

All but two years of our time together, Russ and I have painted on Columbus Day weekend, and most of the time yard work and house chores on Labor Day weekend. Yes, Russ is standing on the radiator to paint the picture window. Yard work comes a bit later after this painting bout.

With as busy as this first week of school was, Russ didn't have a chance to work on any painting. Next week he starts training two new drivers between runs, so won't have time to do many honey-do's then, either. I did start a honey-do for him....Dobbin's Kleenex cover.

Today Russ is working on priming and painting actual windows in the living room. With the humidity down the last gorgeous week, it doesn't take long for paint to dry.

A gorgeous week? Oh, yes. It's been dry with low humidity since last Saturday about noon. A bit of coolness in the mornings, sometimes in the low 40's, along with fog have promoted the quickening of Fall colors. But the sky is gee-orr-gee-us. And, it's back to being shorts weather again!

Neighbors two doors over have taken advantage of the weather this week, also. They had a tree company cut their 150 foot plus trees down to 20 ft. I got a great chuckle seeing the trimmer in the cherry picker with his binoculars while waiting for his crew to mulch some cuttings.

This act has most definitely helped our view and will help melt the snow this winter and warm the house when the sun is so low, hugging the horizon of that hill seen here behind the last couple of branches now cut into firewood.

First Day of School

2009-08-31T11:09:00.001-07:00

Today is the first day of our school year for students and bus drivers. It's a week later this year with Labor Day being a later date in September.

Here's a very happy driver (nicknamed "Russ") of #27 (nicknamed "Dobbin") ready to leave on their afternoon runs.

Dobbin is the same bus as last year. He is a 2008 Freightliner on a Thomas body and a Saf-T-Liner C2 body style. A 72 passenger bus, #27 has a Mercedes diesel engine and automatic transmission. Isn't he beautiful? "The Girls" spent all summer at the bus barn cleaning and waxing and polishing the fleet. Wheels were also painted and paint nicks repaired. We (well, Moore School Bus, Inc.) do have one of the very best looking school bus fleets anywhere.

What do two skeins of yarn and an Anti-Viral Kleenex box have to do with this?

Well, Dobbin is still using the plastic canvas cover I made for #66 several years ago. This year Dobbin will be presented with a knitted Kleenex box in school bus colors -- school bus yellow and black. The pattern is developing in the Knitting Quadrant of my brain.

Yarn Elf and Yarn Vixen chose the perfect colors for this project. Yarn Elf sent Bernat Super Value skeins in color# 608 Bright Yellow and #741 Black. Russ wanted a 'school bus yellow' and I wanted this project to be acrylic for laundering purposes. YV told me that YE had great fun pulling all his yellow-golds at World Wide Hobbies in Willcox, AZ and that she just seconded his choice. Russ was thrilled when he saw the colors and this picture shows how very close to 'school bus yellow' this Bernat really is.

We'll leave you with a close up of Dobbin's chrome. Some of it was purchased in West Memphis, Arkansas last March and some of it was found at another chrome shop near Wheeling, WV in July.

Shall we get back to knitting

2009-08-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

while The Voice is mowing?

Before we left for Wisconsin, I had gotten three projects ready to knit upon during the trip and camp.
One was Russ' socks on two circulars, which is Joyce's KAL and yarn provided by Gwen for him. One was more complicated, the Drooping Elm stole.(It was happily humbling to share that stretchy cast on used here in answer to a camp question. By the way, it's in Montse Stanley, page 60!) And this one, which is WG #79, the 50th Anniversary issue, is the yoke pullover. I've chosen to knit this in J&S 2 ply jumperweight, background color 1A, ecru. Since the sweater is knit from the bottom up, there's one heck of a lot of ecru before the color patterning. I have the body knit up to where it joins with the sleeves. Sleeve#1 is in progress. It really is great for knitting in the craziness this summer has been and in the car and yet again at camp.

In the garden I'd gotten 6 White Ghost eggplant starts. There have been 3 little guys and lots of eggplant flowers loving the warm weather we had for 10 days. That's the whole of summer so far...10 days. Have you heard of white eggplant? I first saw them on Anne Hanson's blog "Knitspot". Anne creates the most wonderful knitting patterns she sells in her Knitspot Pattern Store (link is on her blog) and blogs about many of her projects in process. She also blogs about spinning and her garden. She and David have a wonderful garden; then, create beautiful curries and soups and such with its bounty. She doesn't live very far away, only in Canton, but I have yet to meet her.

Today I measured them and felt their skins. What short ruler could I find but a knitter's rule?

One of the eggplants, though short in length, felt as though it might be ready; so, we'll try it for dinner along with a salad of our first tomato (told you we had no summer) and leftovers.

Oh, the car and pickup are being moved back into the garage and driveway. That means mowing is done and it is time to start in on dinner and eggplant preps!

Another home improvement

2009-08-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

happened today.

Four of our windows have broken cords. This window at the foot of the stairs by the front door is the one Allen chose to teach Russ how to change the cord.

Of course, first Russ had to find cotton clothesline. It had to be cotton because a knot has to be tied in the window cord and a nail put through it between the pulley and the window weight. It took three stops to find cotton clothesline. Nylon is popular and much more expensive these days. Family Dollar had 100 ft. packages for $3.00 each.

Then Allen discovered that the cord was broken on both sides. And he discovered that one of the sash pieces that hold the windows in (of which there are four) had been installed incorrectly the last time the cords were changed decades ago.

After all was installed, the left cord was too long. It only took about three minutes to fix that problem, though.

And Allen asked for a trashcan! And cleaned up the mess! Russ was the one to say that that was a first this summer!

We heart Allen!!!

Family (Knitting) Time

2009-08-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

we find at Meg Swansen's Knitting Camps.

Sometimes we even bring family with us. I'm not the only one to bring my precious cargo.

Sometimes sisters-in-law (Char and Linda) both knit and come to camp together. A best knitting friend from home, Penny, came, too.

Rollie brought her husband Marty.

Linda and Jim came together, too.

The above photos were taken at Royal Tokyo, where even Russ loved the food!

This year Colleen's husband and daughter both came to camp while also visiting colleges. We just loved Wendy knitting on the couch with Meg. (Colleen gave me permission to post this picture.) Eli is enjoying time with Lucy, Meg and Wendy, too, while getting raffle tickets ready.

On Market Day, Tami brought her Pelerine. (Didn't she do a beautiful job?) Zach was proud to be 'man enough to wear it' and show his mother's work to us. Zach, you are indeed. Thank you, Tami, for consent to use this picture.

Al (our generous 2.75 photographer) and wife Leanne come together as knitters, too.

Cathy and Gwen were roomies the first time during their freshman year of college!

And there are more!

Quickly we knitters bond and love each other with a passion often found only in the most closely knit family members. (Pun intended.)We hug and cry and laugh and share and learn from each other.

Learning...we'll see some of the possibilities in the next post.

I do miss 'you guys'.

(Links are purposely not listed in this post.)

Apples and squash

2009-08-15T17:11:00.001-07:00

A little earlier than most years, the apples were ready to process no later than today.

Russ shakes them off the tree with his apple tree hook, into a 5 gallon bucket and then takes the apple peeler/corer to them. There is a mixing bowl for the apples (perfect for a one gallon baggie finished measurement) and a pan for the peels and cores. The peels and cores go into the compost pile.

Because there were 5 yellow zucchini and 2 yellow crookneck squash from Chris and Dan which all needed to be blanched and frozen today, too, it was a hectic few hours.

The pasta pan serves for blanching apples and garnering Russ' favorite beverage, homemade apple juice! There's not much making to it, though. I steam the peeled and cored apples and the steaming water plus apple juice that drips through the inside colander are then cooled and put in water bottles in the fridge. The smaller quart and a half pan on the back burner is the squash blanching pan. Rather than blanching all in a dutch oven, this smaller stainless steel one is just right to pack pint-sized freezer baggies. Today's haul? 5 pints of squash, 5 water bottles of apple juice, 8 gallon baggies of steamed apples.

Yesterday we were talking about how we love the country aspects of our lives. We both wish the Wisconsin farm had still been in the family when we were married. That was the one thing that would have taken us directly to live in Wisconsin. Russ had the experience with cattle while I had rabbit, chicken, horse and sheep experience. The gardens, pastures and fields would have been wonderful in the warmer weather. In the winter? That could have been a problem; but, we'd have overcome it to farm together.

YES!

2009-08-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

Remember this mess? At least we knew then that the bumps in the dining room walls were original plaster problems and nothing to do with studs or lathe or the adobe in the lathe.

However, this ordeal has been going on since May 15th. The man has no respect for women, customers' instructions, customers' homes or appropriate behavior.

When DIP (Don the Painter -- middle initial left to your imagination) pulled away, I jumped up and down in the living room and yelled, "YES!" Less than a minute later there was a "YEOWLSS" from the stairs where Nikki had come out of hiding and added his pleasure at the departure. DIP had scared Nikki on purpose at the end of the first week and laughed, thinking it funny, though Nikki, Russ and I did not appreciate that behavior in the least.

Now Russ will be finishing some trim, etc. before school starts the 31st. I will be vaccing (once again --- one and a half hours minimum was required every night to make area habitable where DIP had worked and trod that day.)There are other chores like carpet cleaning and trying to undo thousands of dollars of furniture finish damage and sorting and arranging. Russ and I will be working on this together, though, and we are at our best working together.

Love this!

2009-08-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1205007/Shepherdess-bride-marries-stunning-dress-wool-flock.html

Shawls and Photos

2009-07-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

Photographing lace, food, friends, knitting, flowers and a few things I'm not about to mention but you'll see one of below... yes, this is a major part of camp!

Michael is a willing and fine model of this lace beauty.

Marilyn's tribute to Dale Long knit with yarn he gave her at her very first camp is gorgeous and brought wet eyes to us all.

Lucy shows a Feather and Fan shawl, one of several knit in different yarns and needles and patterns. For a while there, it appeared to be a feather and fan year.

Al continued his tradition of taking our group photos and photos of the camp experience as seen through his lens, then these will be converted to DVD for us.

Sometimes the knitting and photography take on a medical theme....

Knitter's Handshake (Salute)

2009-07-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

It just wouldn't be camp without seeing the knitter's handshake (salute).

Here's Penny modeling one of Meg's wonderful designs, the Turkish Maple, pp. 50-54 in Meg Swansen's Knitting, Interweave Press, 1999, now sadly OOP.

Meg asks for questions from us to be answered throughout camp, and then illustrates the techniques, if such is appropriate. Here, on one of the four monitors, is a review of kitchenering garter stitch. It really is all about hills and valleys, but sometimes you have to stand on your head to have the texture revealed. (It's not as easy to distinguish the hills and the valleys as one might think.)

And just what is going on with the terminology of 'invisible cast on' or 'provisional cast on'? The last 7-8 years the terminology has been flip-flopping enough to confuse most everybody. Now the definition seems to be back to Mary Thomas' teaching of it decades ago and now seen on www.knittinghelp.com ("Seems" is the operative word, here.)

More exciting, though, is to watching for Cully's designs! He'd devised an icord lattice hat last year and now is working on his second sweater design.

Bridget Rorem brought this purple scarf as her show and tell (also modeled by Cheryl in the picture below). It is an intriguing method of swatching and trying patterns. Later on in 2.75, Bridgie teaches a miniworkshop on making the spider motif. Bridgie conceived of this spider shawl, more appropriately named "After Twilight the Garden Creatures Frolic", in which the spider really does have eight legs (unlike some spider patterns) with Cheryl Oberle's yarn "Gossamer". In this photo, Bridgie and Cheryl are holding it up against the wall to show how well the motifs light up! Amy enjoys the process.

As Cheryl Oberle models the piece, we all get to photograph and touch and admire. Leah and Linda are particularly intrigued here. Bridgie is at the mic explaining about the motifs and part of her design process. I love this 'swatch' concept and the possibilities that can be extended from it.

I am always intrigued by the creative process and how it evolves for each person. Not one of us takes the same thought processes or steps to birth a piece. This shawl has possibilities....

Kauni yarn has been very popular the last several years. Although at one time it was available only through Astrid's Dutch Obsessions in Europe, more LYS's are now carrying it in the USA. Usually we have seen Kauni in just a few sweater designs. But just look at what knitting it into a shawl can become. Wow, Jane, this is a fantastic interpretation of a pattern in "Gathering of Lace". Exactly the same colorway was used by Linda Chism in a sweater that was one of Astrid's patterns. But, the two items hardly even looked related, much less knitted from the same yarn!

OK, too many good knitting vibes are coming through from camp...gotta go now and knit!

We interrupt the wonders of 2.75

2009-07-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

to bring the wonders of late 19th century construction when the mortar doesn't adhere to the lathe on the top half of the wall.

It really is July and time for 2.75!

2009-07-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

"Good Morning, Campers!" "Good Morning, Cristie" is what we've been waiting to hear and to respond to for 51.5 weeks!

2.75 has begun here in the classroom at the Holiday Inn in Marshfield, Wisconsin with Meg and Cristie ready for the campers' salute, announcements, questions.

Camp officially began Thursday about 3 PM when check in officially starts along with Michael calling us by name and remembering those details from prior years that amaze us all. It was a bit scenic on Central Ave. as it is totally torn up and being repaved, but thanks to an email warning from Michelle and excellent signage, the trek from Hudson's to the Holiday Inn was smooth. It is just wonderful to walk into a convention center lobby and called by name. Then are the hugs with other campers who arrive the same time we do.

Thursday night is the lasagna dinner with all of us so excited. The room is overflowing with excitement. And then, we get to dash into the classroom to claim our seats and start...shopping!

Friday morning finds most of us gathering at Lloie's Kitchen table for breakfast. Breaking the fast it is. Lloie has the best little restaurant, great waitresses and an excellent cookbook published by SHP.

I'd say the empty chair between Russ and Linda's Jim is waiting for you to join us; but, in reality, that's my chair! Colleen had her daughter and husband with her this year as they are college shopping. Daughter is an excellent model of show-and-tell, a great crocheter and knitter, too.

The Kitchen Table always has beautiful flowers out front. With Marshfield reworking its pavement, it is also creating new sidewalks and permanent flower beds between streets and sidewalks. I was not the only one to love the landscaping. Murals are still a landmark on the KT. We love them every year.

Now it's time for some Show and Tell and workshops!

Gee, let's go back to the Dells

2009-07-18T18:53:00.001-07:00

I know I'd said we'd go on to Marshfield now, but since I'd gotten the CD from Walgreens in Marshfield (Wal-Mart's machine was still catching up on orders the three days it was down) of the Lower Dells boat trip we took, I'd like to share a few of them.

There are tours by Wisconsin Duck (the land/water vehicle so successful in WW II), jet boat, or two level tour boat. We took the latter on the Lower Dells tour.
Tours start near the hydroelectric plant, a dam that was built in 1909 and is still operational.
(All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.)

Would you think that a tour boat would be able to go through these formations? Watch your answer, as it might just be part of the tour!

Remember last year when Lake Delton broke through its side and the world watched houses collapsing? This shot shows how the area into the Wisconsin River has been repaired but the immediate area has been changed forever.

What might be between these two? Only mosquitoes and other creatures? There might be a sweetheart couple stealing a kiss! The 'tunnel' is seen for only a brief second and a half while passing by, so I was pleased the shutter cooperated.

Trees can grow out of rocks. Here is the proof!

I'd been a little hesitant about a boat tour because I don't have boat experience. One time on the Party Liner in Pittsburgh, a tour on the Potomac, once on Sonny Shores' bass boat, a dinner cruise on the Willow Flowage --- these do not account for a lot of on-water experience. All the tour material stated that reservations were highly suggested. When we got to the window, thinking of touring the next day, the next tour in five minutes was available! It was such a beautiful day that we snapped up the opportunity. Our boat wasn't even half full. Another year might find us on the Upper Dells tour; or, even on a Duck. There were many cars parked on Wisconsin Dells' streets, but tourists weren't buying and the amusement rides that were running were nearly empty.

What I'm doing on my summer vacation....

2009-07-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

Gee, do you remember going back to school and having to write about what you did on your summer vacation?

The morning we left the Wisconsin Dells, we ate at Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty. We hear there's another one in Minoqua, as well. We did have an excellent Paul Bunyan experience and recommend this establishment.

We had a good visit with daughter Robyn and her sister Jonnee and others in Wausau.

I'd seen Beth's patterns on Ravelry and I've checked out her yarn store online. Since we were going through Wausau this morning, I wanted to stop. Of course, Russ drove right to it. Wausau was one of his young man haunts. Black Purl is a really nice little shop with friendly knitters (of course). We hope to meet Beth the next time we visit.

We visited with some of Russ' lifelong friends early this afternoon and then went over to niece Marta's. Then went to her son's soccer game this evening, followed by a really fun dinner with Brother Bill.

Tomorrow: Marshfield, here we come!

Wanna see real chaos???

2009-07-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Real living room chaos!

Russ' plan on how to fix a hole in the Armstrong tile ceiling left by a plant hook works!

Back yard retreat is a joy after dealing with chaos.

Catching up a bit

2009-07-06T19:39:00.001-07:00

I apologize for not coming to visit with you the last several weeks.

One of Russ' projects was painting the back porch railing. It's so bright and sparkly now!

The partial house renovation continues with the living room being in process now. The photos show furniture in the middle of the room. The ceiling is finished now. Also, the first coat is on the walls. Yes, this green is GONE! Before we left for Camp, the furniture has been placed back against the walls so that there is support for the weight. The last day Painter Don was there (Saturday), he and I had two battles, the second the worst. Hopefully he will return to work on our return with a better attitude. (He was almost successful in slipping out early without finishing that first coat on Saturday.) Hopefully his boombox will stay at home. That music is fine for an hour, but not daily for 6 weeks. Drives me crazy.

Maybe we'll look for some new living room curtains on our way around the mid west!?

Another of Russ' projects was cleaning and repainting the aluminum stove hood. Wow, does it ever look good! Really, it has helped the kitchen so much! And, another kitchen project Russ worked on....yes, another... is that he refinished the kitchen table top. The kitchen is smiling.

Nikki is smiling with all his things in the powder room. This means he has the run of the house all the time while we are gone.

Tawny is Not smiling. When he saw me bring down the suitcase on Saturday, he cried, ran around in circles, and cried some more. Dawn will take good care of Tawny and Nikki, so they will be just fine.

We're in Wisconsin Dells tonight. Russ wanted me to experience some of the Wisconsin River by boat. We did the Lower Dells one hour tour this afternoon. It was such gorgeous weather, we just had to do it today rather than tomorrow. I did take pictures, but they are on a 35mm film, not the digital.

Mr. Oatmeal Nose

2009-06-19T07:24:00.001-07:00

is particularly fond of the oatmeal pan, Daddie's oatmeal remnants with a dab of peanut butter on the side and toast crumbs in that 'awful stuff' marketed as dog food. Where's a dog? Tawny sees no dog....

Rain, sheep, tornadoes,hail, flooding

2009-06-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

have all been seen in the Pittsburgh viewing area today. The best part of our day
was talking with Amy and these lambs, even though it was raining. (Click to embiggen!)

Since 4 PM there has been torrential rainfall and radar rotation and Doppler indicated tornadoes in eastern Ohio, West Virginia and southwestern PA. There is flooding almost everywhere. Flooding continues and deepens as the Monongahela River flows north from Morgantown, WV area to join the Allegheny River at the Point in Pittsburgh, forming the Ohio. Pittsburgh is a mess; for example, there were some people who were rescued off the tops of their cars. There has been constant local weather TV broadcasting tonight. Right here we have been having rain and some lightning, though our lightning has not been anything like the storm that had over 1500 (yes, fifteen hundred) lightning strikes in Ohio and West Virginia in a five minute time span. That storm and the one following it have tornadic rotation. Other storm cells tonight have also had tornadic rotation. Usually this area gets only 4 or 5 tornado warnings a year and there have been 3 tonight. The Oakland section of Pittsburgh, which includes the University of Pittsburgh, is flooding and seldom has problems. The back parking lot at Monroeville Mall is impassable, totally flooded. There are landslides. Basements flooded. Sewage issues. Residual damage tomorrow will be dramatic. We have been under up to 5 weather warnings simultaneously this evening. It is 10:30 PM as I write this; this kind of training and redevelopment, suspected to continue through the night, seldom occur in this area.

progressing

2009-06-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

with the first coat going on the woodwork this muggy, cloudy, some-time rainy day, doesn't this area look a lot different than it did stripped to original red/gold wallpaper and paper wallboard?

soon, soon the furniture can go back into the hallway and entry. curtains and valances can be hung.

it has been a long time since may 15th.

Keeping warm

2009-06-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

This fella appreciates warm rocks by the pond as of a few minutes ago.

As long as it prefers bugs to warm-blooded birds and dogs and people, it is welcome here.

Sometimes

2009-06-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

flowers and sox just go together.
On the way to take pictures of Russ' sox these beauties are opening right before this week's rain. I never know which color of foxgloves have reseeded.

Single mock orange blossoms perfume the yard with heritage white lilac and rockets and peonies. It's a wonderful time of year.

Peonies are opening in the neighborhood. These I covered with sheets a week ago when there was patchy frost. Peonies are sensitive to frost and they are too lovely to freeze until next year.

The sox? They are toe up on two size 0 24" circulars, inspired by Joyce Williams' KAL. The yarn is a dream to knit, being Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock gifted by Gwen who felt it was time to knit some Russ socks. They are one of a kind millends and Russ doesn't mind one little bit that the skeins are coordinating.

painting

2009-06-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

the painting is coming along.

here, painter don is putting final coat on stairwell this morning.

a man of many talents, painter don trimmed some yews out front in preparation of bleaching and repainting the front step entry area after repairing cement steps and repainting them last week.

tomorrow? priming and first coat on inside entry hall.

Bark! The Park!

2009-05-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

Tawny thinks we've had the Best morning so far!

He was all excited when I got out his leash and then...we got the car out of the garage and Tawny stepped right into the back seat. We'd always taken him in the pickup before. If you can't guess, Russ driving, me in the middle and Tawny by the window of a Ford Ranger pickup is more than unwieldy.

Tawny loves the park walk. Here he's by some of the May Apples. They bloomed a couple weeks ago, but I've always loved these harbingers of late Spring.

The woods are spongy with three inches of rain this week. Several places along the brick walk, water was oozing between the brick joins, easing toward the lake. Creeks are flowing; the lake is muddy. Fishermen weren't catching much this morning at all.

From the one parking lot area toward the boathouse, sun rays break through early morning cloud cover. Last Fall the Blue Heron was seen in this shot. It wasn't around this morning. There were just a few ducks and geese foraging for insects and people leavings.

We're looking forward to frequent walks at the local county park as school is out for students next Friday afternoon.

It's almost June

2009-05-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

yet tonight there is a frost warning for northern Pennsylvania. Those residents must be pulling their hair out! We're to be in the mid-40's here.

The renovation update for today is that the hallway ceiling has been not only primed but painted in semi-gloss white! Monday will bring the walls being painted. Nikki is just to the top of the stairs, checking out today's changes. He always hides when Painter Don is here, but then always checks to see what has changed in his house. You do know that we belong to him rather than him belonging to us, right?

The hanging baskets are all doing really well this year. This is a fuchsia named 'Shimmering', a double fuchsia. I really like this one. Yesterday I planted the nasturtiums that were started in peat pots into a hanging basket and they've already grown over an inch!

We have two weigeilia bushes. This deep red one is by the herb garden. A pink bush is up beyond the garden, outside the cyclone fence. See the buttercup? When the buttercups have a chance, they don't stay just grass level, but they will grow several feet tall. When we went to Busy Beaver in New Kensington today to buy paint, they also had their seeds on sale. I found caraway and chamomile which I planted in the herb garden, too.

I can hardly believe that the wisteria has begun to bloom. It seems just too early. By next weekend the mock orange and the heritage white lilac will be blooming.

flowery wet sanding

2009-05-29T05:29:00.000-07:00

now, there's a strange title for you! we'll start out with the flowers, ok?

first up are some of the chives. i just love these guys, not only for cooking, but for their flowers and their wonderful perennial nature. even here, i can cut them fresh for cooking eight months of the year or more, they freeze really well, too.

intertwined with the spirea is a volunteer native dew berry. you can tell a dew berry from a blackberry in that when the berry is pulled off the vine, a white core is left on the bush. they bloom at the same time of year, so it's quite a show! looks like there may be plenty of berries for cereal and shortcake and maybe even some will get put up in the freezer.

ah, the nearly wild roses! a precious old friend this bush is. grandpa bought two of these for mom after dad died and this one is still doing well. not bad since 1961, right?

yes, there is wet sanding, too.

what is wet sanding? instead of using sandpaper to even the joint compound, you take a squeegie mop and water and mop it down.joint compound is water soluble, so it just smooths right out. no dust!!!

how's the dizzying stairwell grab you?

in the knitting-to-recenter front, the 'drooping elm leaf' has been started (posted on my ravelry project page). i absolutely love the double twisted loop cast on for this project. (stanley,p.66)i had tried a long tail cast on for a swatch and it looked tight, strained, totally uncharacteristic for lace. this cast on is picot-esque, stretches easily and adds to the elm leaf creation rather than cramping it. elm leaf pattern is found in volume 1, Barbara Walker treasury, p. 217. i'm knitting with the cascade heritage yarn from lake michigan when sarah and i went searching for a yarny souvenir. the addi lace 24" #6 circular is working well so far. i'll give full credit to anne hanson of knitspot and tkga research for inspiration.