Hookin', Knittin' & Livin'

April challenge

2012-01-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

T S Eliot said that 'April is the cruelest month' but I really don't believe that. It's a month devoutly to be wished for by those of us who love spring with its fresh green leaves and colorful blooms. OK, so there's that income tax deadline thing but let's not worry too soon.

April also brings the huge month-long blogfest known as the A-Z Challenge. Today is the first day we can sign up to play - there are already almost two hundred bloggers linked in. Last year was my first and I had such a great time. I met lots and lots of new blog friends and learned some stuff, too. If you want to try it just click the 2012 A-Z Challenge badge in my sidebar. It'll take you right to the sign-up page. There's lots of information available there if you're not sure how it works.

There's a lot of thinking time between now and April. I know just how I'll start the process... I'm off to bind my new little mat. Photos tomorrow.

Sunday Wonders - J

2012-01-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

J is for January. It's almost time to say goodbye to this month but before I do here is what I know.

January is named for the Roman god, Janus, the guardian of gates and doorways.

Or, of comings and goings.

Now that makes sense. We watched as the weary year of 2011 with it's awkward, angular prime number became another discarded calendar page.

We hoped as 2012 began to take its first steps. I think twelve is a much smoother, friendlier number with all it's factors. Yes, I look at numbers in my own un-mathlike way.

January is also when the Year of the Rabbit

gives way to the Year of the Dragon.

The flower symbol for January is the brave little snowdrop.

We still have our flocks of snowgeese munching in the fields as they wait for spring to leave for their breeding grounds off Siberia.

And, true to its name, as January slowly closes it's door, another month will be standing on the doorstep.

Comings and goings.

Saturday Stash

2012-01-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

The other day, I opened one of the chests which hold stash yarn and was pleasantly surprised to see that the contents' level had gone down. Not to get too excited as it wasn't a huge drop but it was noticeable. I looked at the second chest and it, too, showed some results. That's encouraging.

Here is my great accomplishment...Ta-da! Drum roll please! The Midnight Rose is complete. I am so please with it. This is a crummy photo of the garment but it gives the best idea yet of the color. My camera just doesn't like purples and dark blues. We were talking about the shadings yesterday and I decided that, in the best possible way, it's like an oil slick on a puddle. All dark swirlings of purples, greens, and blues. But maybe nicer to keep thinking about those roses at midnight.

This photo gives the best idea of the finished product. I love the curviness of the shape. It fits perfectly and looks beautiful. When worn, it is the perfect tunic length - not so long as it appears when flat.

I am soldiering along on my Year of the Dragon cardi...I kind of got distracted by two little projects. One is the Nantes Hat (Amanda Scheuzger) which is supposed to use the remainder of the pink Geisha. I don't believe it will. There may be enough for a tiny pair of mittens still. And I also started this little sweater for donation: Petite Facile by Meghan Jones. Such an easy pullover design for a small person. I may make a few of these...I can use some cool buttons from my collection. Does collection sound better than stash?

I know that the Lunar New Year actually began last Monday but the celebrations last up to 15 days. I'm counting on that to get my knitted tribute finished in time. The New Year is a major event in our part of the world. Yesterday, we took a play day and went out to the River Rock resort and casino. Not a lot of gambling for us...we fed a $5 bill into a penny machine, doubled it and proceeded to lose it all as we tested several other penny games. Then we went sightseeing. Lots of fresh flower arrangements like the roses above in the hotel lobby - just waiting for their photo op.

This dragon was sculpted from stainless steel by Kevin Stone specifically to honor the most powerful of the Chinese zodiac symbols. If you have $5 million dollars, you can buy it for your own yard. But as you can see, it is very big. I'm standing right by its head and that front claw is bigger than I am.

I love how shiny it is. On a sunny day it would be blinding. But yesterday, it was a more cloud than bright sun and we saw beautiful reflections from the marina beside it.

The head is magnificent, isn't it?

I seem to have strayed from the stash. It was relevant, sort of.

The January Garden

2012-01-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

The sun is shining today after a couple of days of downright nasty weather. Much to my horror I saw a little of the dreaded 'thick rain' last night. But today all is peaceful and bright.

I took Miss Piggy out to sunbathe on the deck of our newest bird house. Who knows when she'll get this chance again. Our house this year was designed with our laid-back west coast living in mind. Thanks, Jim, it looks wonderful. And, while, Miss P is happy, I will bring her in so that she doesn't put off prospective buyers of the latest real estate.

While she was catching some rays, I looked for signs of spring. I did find a few...

Some snowdrops which will need another few days of warmth. I did tuck the leaves around them again.

A hellebore which is almost in bloom. This is Ivory Prince...Hot Flash comes a little later.

Here is a rugosa which we took out last fall. Or we thought we had. Now I'm going to fret over whether to leave this plant which has worked hard to survive or just be ruthless. I hate it when I have to make the decision all over again...it was hard enough the first time. Aren't those thorns wicked looking?

Snuggled up against a warm south wall are the beginnings of our wonderful bluebell show. It'll be a while yet...I couldn't see any flower buds.

A wee columbine showing its intricate swirl of leaves. So out of time that I can't imagine how it has managed to grow at all.

And, last, a soldierly march of garlic plants strutting down the side of the garden bed. We had enough garlic to last until Christmas this year. We're planning to do better next. Store garlic is nothing like fresh.

Now that I've fed the compost, picked some spinach and chard for tonight's soup I'll take Miss P and go back where it's warmer for me.

Chattin'

2012-01-25T08:22:00.000-08:00

It's that day again. Time to head off down the road to chat with the folks who are gathered at Patrice's place.

Apparently, Patrice is back from her trip and Wendell is back in the barn. For the record, I think he did a great job last week. I've just grabbed a sock on the needles and flown in late and breathless. Everyone seems to be chatting already...

Kimberly asks: How long have you blogged? I've been blogging for about five years. I started out quite shy and quiet. I read but never commented. I can still remember how nervous I was making that first comment. It felt like pretty bold step. Each year gets better with new friends I make around the world.

Lana asks:What is the most difficult part of taking care of chickens? Not having any chickens, I can't really answer that one. My brother had a pet chicken when we were kids. We lived in the town but it was OK to have the chicken, I guess. She laid eggs for him but obviously couldn't keep up with enough for a whole family.

Susannah asks: Would you prefer to live where it's hot or cold? Neither one. I'm happy right where I am. I like to visit places where the sun shines hotter than here but I'm always happy to come home. And, cold? No way...I hate being cold?

Farm Girl asks: What sort of things are you looking forward to in 2012? I'm looking forward to seeing how my grandkids change in the next year. Being a Grammy means I can relax and watch. I'm also looking forward to doing more rug hooking than I have in the past few years. And I have plans to make a couple of quilts. There's a lot of stash fiber for every craft to catch up on.

Dreaming asks: What's for dinner? That's usually a hard question at this time in the morning. But not today! I'm going out for dinner tonight...a Greek restaurant in our neighborhood. We'll be a big party of friends (about 20) so I know it's going to be a good - and noisy - time.

Thanks, Patrice, for hosting us once again. If you want to share in the chat just come on over to Everyday Rurality and have a seat.

Giveaway winner!

2012-01-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

Today is the day I've been waiting for. It's just as exciting for me to draw a winner - honest!

I had this long story prepared as a lead-in but I've abandoned it in favor of getting to the winner right away. Isn't that why we're here? The magic random number was 5. The fifth comment was made by Pam over at Empty Nest. That means, of course, that she wins the giveaway. Congratulations, Pam!

Thank you to everyone - I wish I had something for each of you - I will do this again. It's so much fun. No, I won't wait 'til I get to the next 1000! I'll have a good look 'round for another excuse to party.

Meanwhile, as soon as I get that postal address (email add. in sidebar), this little mat is in the mail. I'm sure it will enjoy it's new home.

Sunday wonders - I

2012-01-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

I is for Itching.

I've mentioned before that my parents had a saying for every occasion. My mother's list was much gentler - but no less colorful - than my father's. She had two that involved body itching. If your palms itched, you were going to get some money. If your feet itched, you were going to travel.

These were sayings that I heard at least weekly as early as I can remember. In my mind, getting money was becoming RICH. And traveling, well, that was traveling. You went far away. My mother neglected to share that the money and the travel could be very small: finding a penny or going next door.

As a child, I loved comic books. One of the best things about them, besides the stories, was the advertising on the inside front and back covers. Once I saw an ad for itching powder. Now you can imagine how exciting that was. If I could make the itching happen, would the sayings come true? Did I mention I was pretty young?

I still respond to an itch in my palm or my foot with hope. I still think the money will be a worthy prize, not just buttons, and that the travel will take me somewhere exotic. Best of all, there will be no effort to this travel or riches: it will be like magic. Itching can be a good thing.

*This is the last day to add your comment to the giveaway post. Drawing is at midnight tonight (PST) and you can find the post here with all the details. If you've already commented - you're entered.

Saturday Stash

2012-01-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

The snow has come and is going, going...almost gone. The snow melt is quite dramatic once the rain comes. I know I don't have any more excuses to stay in and knit but hey! when did I ever need an excuse?

This is the best color capture yet!

This week, I have focused on my two big projects. And I started one little one. First up: the Midnight Rose Tunic. I have one sleeve to go and then I knit on the neckband. I feel like Cinderella's mice running around hurriedly fashioning the ball gown. Not that there is any pressure but my own. This is a cool weather top and I would like to have it finished by spring so Maria can wear it. For some reason the sleeves are slowing me down. Or maybe it's not the sleeves fault at all?

There is this new girl in town. Ooh, she's red and sassy! I have finished the back and part of one front for my Year of the Dragon cardi. This I want to have finished before the Chinese New Year. I won't need any firecrackers!

And, on Thursday, I looked at my gifted sock skeins from Christmas and decided to wind them into balls. OK, that wasn't the smartest idea because now I'm hooked on knitting one of them up. I loved the blue/gray/green tones in this yarn...it seems so sophisticated. I wanted to create a pattern that would show off the tones and be just as elegant as the yarn. This is my Sophisticated Lady pattern. It reminds me of the 1930's when the rich gals went to parties wearing long satin dresses cut on the bias - all in these same muted colors. Or finely tailored suits with masses of couture detailing that we rarely see now. Add open-toed pumps and a coiffure from the best salon and some Cole Porter on the Victrola....I was born too late, wasn't I?

I hope to have most of these finished by next week...and a whole new lot of projects. I have them in my mind but my fingers can't work fast enough.

Musings

2012-01-20T10:20:00.000-08:00

I have been spending a lot of time with my rug hook this past week. One thing I have noticed is how a solitary a pursuit this is. More like quiliting and less - a lot less - like knitting. Knitting is much more social. But with the hooking I am in my own little world of wool bits, color and shapes. There's lots of time to think and ponder the big questions in life.

Yesterday I was thinking about shapes. I was looking at the heart and wondering why I keep putting hearts in my rugs. If you look you'll find that it's the most common motif. Not that every rug has one but there are enough to make a tiny trend. I decided that it was the shape of the heart as much as its meaning.

This is my favorite shape. I've known this since I started quilting back in the last century - just had to say that. My favorite quilts are patchwork and usually scrappy. I have noticed that while it is easier to make squares and rectangles - and much easier to sew them together - I actually like the look of triangles better. My favorite patterns are those based on the pinwheel.

Which brings me to the shape of the heart. Have you ever noticed that it is triangular? Me neither - until yesterday. There are a lot of reasons to use hearts in my designs: meaning, color, symmetry and ease of drawing. But I think it's the shape. Then I started wondering if other people had a shape that made them happy. Do you?

Here's a completely different shape and topic. I actually think this little beast looks hilarious. I have no idea why but it makes me laugh. Not so funny is the amount of shredding we've been doing in the last few days. So much that we've burned through yet another shredder (this is number four, I think) and had to make an emergency run to buy a new one. Here he is: tough, capable and silly-looking.

The snow you see reflected is now at the mercy of the rain.

First step and a challenge

2012-01-19T09:39:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all my friends for their kind comments. That's such a big part of blogging, isn't it? And, now, today is the first step on the road to the next 1000. Let's start with a challenge, OK?

For the past two years I've been participating in the Birth Year Reading Challenge hosted by Hotchpot Cafe. Each year, she changes it up so that we can jump out of our birth year. I'm especially glad because finding books from that year was so hard. I went forward in the time Machine last year to 1953 but that didn't help a whole lot. The lists of books published are long; the list of books available are not. So, this year we get to honor someone by choosing their birth year, hence the name: BYRC Honors.

I have chosen to honor Amy Winehouse who was born in 1983. She had a wonderful voice in the tradition of Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin. Great, mad talent and gone far too soon.

The list of books published that year is long. I have not read very many of them and I'm not too sure why. Maybe I was too busy trying to catch up on everything before that year. In any case, I know I won't get to all these before the end of the year either. But I have a better chance of finding these, I think. Click on the link above if you want to join in or just find out more. Here's my list:

Isaac Asimov - The Robots of Dawn
Greg Bear - The Wind from a Burning Woman
Samuel Beckett - Worstward Ho
Thomas Berger - The Feud
Thomas Bernhard - The Loser
Jorge Luis Borges - Shakespeare's Memory
Marion Zimmer Bradley - The Mists of Avalon
Morley Callaghan - A Time for Judas
Raymond Carver - Cathedral
Hugo Claus - Het verdriet van België
J. M. Coetzee - Life and Times of Michael K
Jackie Collins - Hollywood Wives
Basil Copper - The House of the Wolf
Bernard Cornwell - Sharpe's Sword and Sharpe's Enemy
Bernard & Judy Cornwell (as Susannah Kells) - A Crowning Glory
Roald Dahl - The Witches
L. Sprague de Camp - The Reluctant King and The Unbeheaded King
Jim Dodge - Fup
Allan W. Eckert - The Dark Green Tunnel
Ernest J. Gaines - A Gathering of Old Men
John Gardner - Icebreaker
Gery Greer and Bob Ruddick - Max and Me and the Time Machine
Mark Helprin - Winter's Tale
Elfriede Jelinek - The Piano Teacher
William Kennedy -Ironweed
Stephen King - Christine
Dean R. Koontz - Phantoms
Mary Mackey - The Last Warrior Queen
Norman Mailer - Ancient Evenings
James A. Michener - Poland
Anita Brian Moore - Cold Heaven
R. K. Narayan - A Tiger for Malgudi
Robert B. Parker - The Widening Gyre
Tim Powers - The Anubis Gates
Terry Pratchett - The Colour of Magic
Salman Rushdie - Shame
Joanna Russ - The Zanzibar Cat
Walter Tevis - The Queen's Gambit
A. N. Wilson - Scandal
Robert Anton Wilson - Prometheus Rising
Roger Zelazny - Unicorn Variations

Grace Nichols - i is a long memoried woman
Paul Durcan - Jumping the Train Tracks with Angela

Oh, and don't forget to enter yourself for my giveaway. Just click on the 'Celebrating...' post in my sidebar - look way down - and leave a comment.

Celebrating with a Giveaway

2012-01-18T10:59:00.000-08:00

It did take a while to get to it but I have finally arrived. This is post 1000! It's hard to believe that I have actually written that many words. Of course, anyone who knows me is probably not surprised. I can talk a lot, too.

I want everyone to celebrate along with me and so I'm offering a gift. I have made so many friends - and hope to make more - during the five years I've been blogging. It started out kind of slow and sporadic with infrequent posts. I challenged myself to increase my posts per month until I got to one post a day. That was made easier by a trip around blogland one morning. It was just a random blog hop based on the followers of a couple of blogs I followed. And I found some really interesting people and ideas. And some fantastic photography.

Last year, I participated in the A-Z Challenge and I plan to do that again. What a wonderful way to find new friends. And the same for all the blog-hops and blog-fests that can be found. I will be participating in the Birth year reading Challenge 2012, too. I love the challenge part of blogging. Sometimes it's a challenge to write something. Other times, it's a challenge to get around and visit everyone. But for me, a challenge is a pleasure. If there were none, life would be pretty boring.

I have found friends whom I know I would like to meet up with for real. I'm not a huge traveller, so am not likely to have the opportunity. But never say never. And the invite is always there for a meet if anyone is in Vancouver. The support and encouragement from everyone is amazing. It's wonderful to have a place to share interests with bloggers doing the same thing.

So, did you guess what the gift is? Yes, it's some hooking. A tiny mat - just 6 inches in diameter - that could be a large coaster or a small hot pad for your dinner table. The design is called 'Celtic Heart' and I remember seeing something like it in a tattoo parlor. Just window shopping...really! I've included two photos because I thought the first one was boring but showed the color better. The second has a more interesting background. I hooked this one back when I was selling quite a few mats on ebay. When that wound down, this one was left and I just packed it away with about three other items. And then I got busy doing other stuff. If you are interested in seeing the hooking I was doing then, you can see it all here.

If you want to participate, just leave a comment on this post. I'll do a random number generator thing next Sunday night (Jan 22) and post the winner on Monday morning. Let's just pretend that I did it at midnight because you all know I wouldn't actually be awake then.

Chattin'

2012-01-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

Hey! It's cold here today. More snow is promised and I don't have anywhere I have to be. A whole day of hookin, knittin and livin'. And because I don't have to be anywhere, I can scoot over to Patrice's place for a chat this morning. We're going to the barn where it's a lot warmer, I'll bet. I've got my knitting - I can knit in a barn - and some carrots for Wendell, our host today. I'm early for a change - maybe I'm the first guest for Wendell?

Horses ask some interesting questions. Here goes...

What's your favorite kind of chili? My favorite chili would have no meat and lots of beans, some green peppers. And spicy hot, please, with some cheddar shredded on top. No sour cream.

What do you usually do when you feel a cold coming on? After the initial kvetching and moaning because the cold bug has caught me, I retreat to the couch and read, read, read while I enjoy ~~a lot of~~ some lemon in my hot tea. That's what I would do butI haven't had a real cold for a long time now (sound of knocking on wood) and I would like to keep it that way. Although, all pockets are prepared for the worst. I always have a couple of tissues at the ready just in case.

Rice, potatoes, or pasta? Hmmm...I like all three. But if I was stranded on a desert island and I could only have one it would be rice, brown rice. It's not as heavy somehow. I don't really eat these foods on a regular basis any more.

What kind of camera do you use? I use a Fuji S2000HD. And rarely, the iPhone camera when it's an emergency photo op.

Are you a night owl or an early bird? Definitely an early bird. This morning I was up at 5.30. I've always been a morning person - by lunchtime the day is mostly over for me and I find my energy lower in the afternoon. By evening it's practically non-existent. Good thing knitting doesn't take a lot!

Wendell asks all his questions in red...I'm wondering why. Maybe that's as close to carrot color as will show up on the blog. I had to change the color, because it's hard to read on my black ground. But it looks very nice on his page...and his answers are fun, too. Just visit Everyday Rurality to see them.

Before I go, I have a question for Wendell: are horses very picky about their carrots? Should I be buying them with the green tops on? What about those pretend 'baby' carrots? OK, that was three questions.

I remember!

2012-01-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

Picking up that hook was easier than remembering how to ride a bike. I spent a couple of hours yesterday happily pulling wool strips through burlap. Ah, it was lovely.

How to do wasn't the only thing I remembered. There was the pleasure of cutting the strips. I hand-cut my strip because I enjoy it. I'm a process kind of gal and prefer to do things the long - and often hard - way. And, for me, I like the look of hand-cuts. I remembered how much fun it is to sort through the baskets looking at all the colors and textures. I always use recycled wools, too. Again, it's just me and my love of irregularity and eccentricity.

I started with a big heart. Can't go wrong putting love in your design, right? The background will be as colorful as I can make it with my hit and miss strips. Actually, I confess to letting my inner control freak loose on this. I have a really hard time being completely random. I have tried just blindly taking pot-luck from the worm box. It goes OK for a while but then I start obsessing about stuff like too many yellows too close together. Then before I know it, I've made a conscious decision to hook in a purple strip. This time I just started off selecting the colors as I go. There is a randomness in which strip within the color family I use, though. So I think it's fitting the spirit of the design.

What I had forgotten was how vicious the little gripper hooks on the frame can be. Ouch! I have roughed up skin on the heel of my hooking hand - looks like it's been sanded. And somehow I have what looks like a cat scratch on the other hand. I don't remember doing this and there's no cat.

Mainly, I am having such a good time. Hooked all over again.

Sunday Wonders - H

2012-01-15T11:19:00.000-08:00

H is for Hook.

This hook was on fire a few years ago. I used it so much that the varnish has worn off where my fingers held it. But the fire's been banked for what was only going to be a few months and has turned into years . Today, the sun is shining and it's cold. A perfect hooking day.

So, hook plus frame...

Add a blank (almost) canvas...

A box of random worms...

Put some classical music on the player and let's see what happens. I hope I can remember how to do it. I actually have that fear. You'll be the first to know if the fire has burned too low. And maybe, if this works I can get Katie's mat going. It's been on hold too long.

Saturday Stash

2012-01-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

This view was sort of expected this morning...weather folks really enjoy making a mountain out of a mogul, don' they? It wasn't a particularly welcome view, though. I have already gifted our snow to all my bloggy friends who really love it and have none yet. I love how the snow has collected on our improvised (circle of sheet metal) squirrel baffle. In the fall, two of our bigger - and younger - squirrels managed to climb up the metal pole and spent about five happy moments cleaning out the sunflower seeds. We think we have them stymied - for the moment.

Good thing I've been knitting some warm woollies this week. What have I been knitting? Even better question: what have I finished? I'll start with my only work in progress right now: the Midnight Rose tunic. Oh, I think it's going to be so pretty. I was making great strides and then got a bit distracted by some other stuff. I've got the color a bit better this week (it's darker than this) and can you see the lovely tangle of cabling? This is a fun, fun pattern. No cable needle necessary as you never cross more than one stitch. I do have to count, though. Rows, stitches...in the round that's a lot to keep track of as you increase and decrease at the same time in some places.

I finished the Desert Shadows scarf and have the pattern on Ravelry as a free download. Go here if you'd like to try it. You'll need about 400 meters of 4ply fingering to make a scarf.

After I had written up the pattern, I wanted to make another test knit just to be sure. The pattern is very easy but the writing, as always, can get lost in my translation. So, I cast on some leftover sock yarn for a swatch. It looked so pretty I just kept going 'til the string ran out. I sewed on two stash buttons which can easily slip through a dropped-stitch 'ladder'. Now I have my Swatch Band. It makes a neat little neck-warmer or a headband to keep the ears warm.

In danger of becoming a UFO, these white socks begged me to finish them. The only thing wintery is their name - Snowberry socks. I think, being cotton, they'll be waiting in the drawer for some warmer weather before I actually wear them.

Not a bad week on the knitting front. Now if you could just bring your shovels and buckets and take all this snow away. Please? While I wait for you, I'll be knitting. I have some red recycled yarn that wants to be a jacket. Sounds perfect for a snowy day.

Chattin'

2012-01-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

It's that day again. The sun is shining today and the frost is white and furry on the rooftops. Sunrise was an amazing magenta that covered the eastern horizon. About the color of the inside of a blood orange. Right now I'm gathering up my knitting and setting off to meet up with everyone who's hanging out at Patrice's place today.

The conversation has already begun so I'll jump in and catch up with everybody. Here we go...

How often do you wear a skirt or dress? Way more often since I've lost weight. It's kind of weird that skirts are not something I wanted to wear when I was heavier. They would probably have looked OK but for some reason I wasn't comfortable in them. Now I love them. Skirts, that is. I hardly ever wear dresses. I think there's something too same-y about a dress that doesn't appeal to me.

Did you feel unmotivated after Christmas and New Years? Oh, you mean, like how I wished the holiday break would just go on and on? It was really hard to get back to regular stuff after a pleasant two-week break. I got very used to just doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.

What was the last thing that made you say "Wow"? Seeing my 7-year-old granddaughter in her just-off-the needles sweater. It should have been big on her based on measurements taken at Hallowe'en but it was just perfect as long as she stays that size. Must knit faster.

Do you shop with a list, or do you "wing it"? Mostly I wing it. Now that I'm older and ~~my memory is imperfect~~ I'm more easily distracted, I find I need a list if I have to buy anything out of the ordinary. I'm not a particularly impulsive shopper so winging it is my preferred way to shop. Just another of my 'don't tie me down' quirks.

And now Patrice asks one of my favorites: what questions would you like me to ask on our chat? I have a couple of requests...if that's OK. I would like to know:

Which kind of competition do you prefer to watch: dancing, singing or cooking?

How many different addresses did you have while growing up?

Thanks, Patrice, for hosting another chat. They are always fun and if you'd like to join in , just visit Everyday Rurality and sign in.
And, now, since the holiday is really over, it's back to work for me.

B-I-G step

2012-01-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I decided to join the e-ranks and stop my daily delivery of the newspaper. My yearly subscription was up for renewal and, like everything else, it had increased by what seemed to me an ~~outrageous~~ unacceptable amount. So, I went looking for what I could find online. I did a very small amount of anecdotal research: I asked my son who gave up his print edition a while ago.

This is the last newspaper that will fall on my doorstep - and it remains unopened. Pass the hankie. Actually, I thought the absence of this morning's paper would be more traumatic than it turned out to be. Mostly the trauma involves guilt over being a part of taking away jobs. I started my employment career as delivering newspapers and all three of my kids started the same way. Like me, I'm sure they have mixed feelings about the work. But, it's another tradition that is slowly fading away and I don't love being part of its demise.

I found this online and I spent a pleasantly large half-hour browsing through the pages. One of the interesting observations that I made was that I actually didn't skip around as much as I would have with the print copy. Because I have to be intentional about the page I'm going to read, I found that I spent more time and read each article to the end. Frequently, in print, I read about half-way through and decide I've had enough. Or something more interesting catches my eye.

Online, there are a lot of distractions - like ads -but because I'm so used to ignoring them while I'm circling around in cyberspace each day, it was easier to focus on what I was reading. I thought I would miss some features that I always read: comics, letters to the editor, obituaries. But, it's all available...either on the paper's page or elsewhere. In fact, the comics just got more interesting because I can access the syndication pages and read a whole bunch that I don't find in the daily newspaper. Not that I did, of course, No, I selected about six that I really like and let the rest go.

This wasn't a New Year's resolution at all but it sort of feels like one. Weird, huh?

Sunday wonders - G

2012-01-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

G is for Green.

Green is probably the main color of the West Coast where I live. We have green all year round but there are times when the greens are especially beautiful...or unusual...or useful.

We live in a rain forest which is immediately apparent when we go walking through the mountain trails. Look at the moss covering this tree. It reminds me of the fuzz on a deer's antlers.

The brightest green these deer found in this spot was the paint on this wheelbarrow. The fading green of the pea-vines caught their interest, though.

These playing fields are very green...

There are summer greens...

And early morning greens burnished by the rising sun.

Some greens are not leaves...

There is a beautiful tender green under the peeling bark of the arbutus tree.

My daughter's garden was crammed full of different greens last summer...

However, Nature's garden produces my favorite flower with it's edible green leaves. How clever it is to have so many greens which look good with any color. And how sensible to have so many green that we can eat. Now I can't wait for spring - and that first dandelion.

Saturday Stash

2012-01-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

I've had a bit of a hiatus from blogging. Well, no, that's not true. I've been visiting everyone but I've just not felt that I had anything to say. So this past week I've been knitting, of course, and reading. Reducing those stashes takes time. The pile of books is dwindling down. Do you have books in you TBR pile that keep being left at the bottom? This should tell me something, I think, probably that I should be sending those books to the thrift shop - nope, can't do it yet.

My yarn stash is going down as I make quick progress on the Midnight Rose tunic. Here it is almost to the armholes. I can't get the color right - even outside the flash insists on going off. And no flash is just as bad. I gave up. So just imagine a richer, darker version. This is a fantastic pattern. Very easy and all in the round.

And, remember I gave myself permission to use new yarns. No I haven't bought any yet. I'm using one of my gift yarns...I guess when they come as gifts they become part of the stash, right? Anyway, this was such a pretty yarn and it feels so good - definitely qualifies as a yummy yarn. The colors remind me of how the desert in the Southwest looks after the hot sun has set. The bright colors all kind of soften and blend. The shapes of the rocks become more rounded but you can still see the textures and details. So, all me to introduce the Desert Shadows Scarf. This is my own pattern so I can't link for you. I'll publish it on Ravelry when it's done.

And, the freezer got reorganized this week. And all the toys we've had for the grandkids were edited and organized. Everything seems to be a stash around here.

I seem to be creeping up on my 1000th post...I can't quite believe that I've had that much to say. In celebration - and amazement - I'd like to have some kind of giveaway. Stay tuned.

Chattin'

2012-01-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

It may be a new year but it's still winter. This morning, I'm looking forward to a nice cozy chat with everyone over at Patrice's.

Once again, I seem to be late...there's a lot of people enjoying the chat today. What are they saying? Let's find out...

What's your favorite kind of tree? My favorite trees are always deciduous. I love trees that have seasons. Where I live, near the mountains in Vancouver, we are always surrounded by evergreens. They are beautiful, often majestic but their seasonal changes are not too noticeable. I love the changing colors of leaves and even the fact that they fall off leaving the tree bare. And then those tender green leaves that I know will return. I prefer a tree that provides dappled rather than solid shade in the summer. In my own yard, my favorite tree - and we have several - is the star magnolia which is covered in furry little buds right now. Inside are the white blooms waiting for spring.

How did you celebrate the New Year? Not much of a party girl really. My idea of ringing in the New Year is to begin knitting a new sweater for someone. That has become kind of a tradition for me. Otherwise, it's a quiet night with just the two of us.

Do you have any family traditions for the New Year? Same answer as above.

I'm so glad I____________ in 2011. Was able to spend two weeks in the high desert experiencing the Grand canyon and all that magnificent scenery. This had never been high on my wish list but I'm so glad it was at the top of someone's else's and I got to go, too.

Did you have a nickname as a child? When I was very small, my Dad started calling me Lucy. This was because I always took my shoes and socks off. There was a song called "Put Your Shoes on Lucy"

with the last line: "Put your shoes on, Lucy, you're a big girl now". I hope you enjoy it as much as I did remembering my dad singing it to me. The nickname stuck for a lot of years.

That's about it for me this week. In my mind, this conversation always includes my sister, now. She follows my blog and enjoys my answers to the day's questions. She finds that she would have answered many of the questions exactly the same as I do. Unless it's something about our parents...we're far enough apart in age that our parents were different people to each of us.

See you all next week...I'm still dancin' in my bare feet. You can dance on over to Patrice's place at Everyday Rurality. You'll have a good time, guaranteed.

Sunday Wonders - F

2012-01-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

F is for Future.

There is nothing so exciting to me as the future. I love the new calendar with all those little squares just waiting for me to fill them in. I'm eager to walk down an unknown trail and I always want to see what's around the next corner.

What will be this year's passion? I am still going to be knitting...and some folks have made sure I will have some new - and very attractive - yarns in my stash. Thanks to family in Nelson and Lethbridge - you know what I like!

I would like to spend some time learning how to use the drop spindle. I've had this one for a number of years and I think it's high time I started getting serious. I'm sure it will be very helpful when I finally get going with my wheel.

I have taken the pledge on yarn. But that's not my only stash. I have wool for my rug hooking which has been waiting for me to come back to it. I also have quilting cotton which would like to be used. This is one of two cupboards that keep it all pretty tidy. I don't think I'm a hoarder, do you?

So no resolutions. Just a few little things I can take with me on the journey along the new path of the coming year. Here's to 2012!

Saturday Stash

2011-12-31T10:38:00.000-08:00

This is the last Stash report for 2011! I have been knitting from my stored pile of yarn for the last six months and what do I have to show for it?

I have knitted just under 50 projects using stash yarn. I was curious about the amount of yarn my needles had knit because the level in the chest didn't go down dramatically. A quick calculation says - and I don't know why the chest isn't empty! - I have knit 16.7 kilometers (just over ten miles) of yarn in stash projects alone. That seems like such a huge amount of yarn but there's so much still to be knit.

One batch of yarn that I thought I would finish is the lovely pink that makes such pretty little sweaters. I have finished the Stealth Cardi for Becky. Again with the eccentric buttons - hope she approves. Those white-looking ones are actually mauve. Can't buy new buttons either with jars and jars full in the sewing room. I still have enough for one more hat, or a pair of gloves, or...?

My Snowberry sock traveled a lot in December. I was always packing it up for those times when I had to sit and be social. Socks are great for that but for some reason, I didn't pull this sock out too often. I like to be prepared, though, so it will continue to be my travellin' knitting.

I have started the Midnight Rose pullover with the recycled and re-dyed wool. Maria has approved the color so then I could wind up the balls and cast on. That's about all I've managed, though. So, it will be my New Year's starter project. I always like to begin the New Year with something fresh on the needles. I'm not sure when I stared this tradition of mine but it's been a LOT of years.

And, remember that book of crocheted edgings? It was put to use as my daughter finished a Christmas gift for Gabby. She figured she was keeping another tradition alive by having a Christmas gift flying toward the finish line on Christmas Eve. Obviously, she learned well. A-a-anyway...the little blanket was looking kind of plain around the edges. So she leafed through and found an edging. I supplied a hook and off she went, round and round. I think it turned out beautifully, don't you? The side showing is the reverse but you get the idea. How did that foot get there?

One of the most satisfying results was actually having a sock pattern published. I had some sock yarn that needed to be useful. I was very happy with my Windwalker socks and decided to share their pattern. To my surprise, a number of knitters queued them up. And, surprise! two Ravelers have actually made them up. That is the most fun part: to see what other knitters do with your pattern. Check them out here if you're curious.

Thus ends the Pledge Project. I've had so much fun challenging myself to use (and reuse) my stash yarns. I've had an excuse to troll Ravelry for patterns. I've found some really great ones and I've been able to make up patterns that I've admired but couldn't use at the time. And I've donated more than twenty items to our seniors' craft corner.

However, I'm not quite ready to abandon the Pledge altogether. I want to be a little less restricted about buying yarn. It's been ~~torture~~ kind of hard to have to pass up all the great yarns and bargains that came my way last year. So I'm going to try to continue the good work of reducing the stash while giving myself permission to acquire some new yarn - it could be thrift shop, online or just a great find. I think I will try to always have a pattern and a use in mind. I will try. I will try. I will try.

Thanks for sharing my Pledge journey...to be continued.

Chattin' at the farmhouse

2011-12-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

OK, OK. I'm here. I've been getting a few comments on not blogging this week - mostly from my family! I just took a little holiday. It feels weird to kind of sneak back into blogland, though. So, this morning I've come to visit with some friendly folks at Patrice's place. Today is the day to visit Wendell - I have carrots - and bring my knitting and share in the conversation.

As usual, I'm a little late and it's in full swing. Let's jump in...

Who makes the best cookies in your family? The best cookies I had this Christmas were baked by my grandkids. They - with Mom's help - made the Honey Cookies and they were delicious. I doubt they'll be around long enough to mellow. I didn't bake one cookie this year! I don't think I'd want to judge who is the best cookie maker: we're all pretty much the same goodness.

What was the most satisfying or pleasing thing about Christmas 2011? I think one of the most satisfying things I did this year was play some (very simple) Christmas carols on the piano while my daughter played her flute along with me. She is so much more skilled than I but managed to make me feel as though I had made some very pretty music.
The most pleasing was that my son and his family took on the annual Boxing Day gathering. This has been my event for the past - gosh! is it almost 30? - years. This year the baton was passed...they did a great job. We had such a nice time. I'm looking forward to next year already.

How many photo did you take while your family was together for Christmas? Tons? A few? What pictures?

I didn't take nearly as many photos as I usually do. My camera seemed to be making sporadic out-of-focus trips and even the few I took weren't always good. The one above tells the whole story of one of the more interesting gifts to my grandkids. I'll let you guess who actually gave them the gift :)

Do you have a fireplace, wood stove, or pellet stove? We have a gas fireplace but we hardly ever use it. It so rarely gets cold enough.

What time did you get up on Christmas morning? Well, just being two adults for Christmas morning it was more or less the usual 6.30 am. In fact, it was very like most Sunday mornings except that we had some stockings to open. And the Christmas tree lights were on.

Thanks, Patrice, for hosting a chat so soon after Christmas. Nice to visit with everyone again...I'm off to see what everyone else has to say. If you'd like to come visiting, too, hop over to Everyday Rurality.

Saturday Stash

2011-12-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

The needles have been a little busier this week with other events quietening down. I've finished one, started another and I've had fun with the dye pot.

These socks look like pink granite to me. I love the yarn and it was such fun to knit this pattern again. They're already on the feet as you can see. In fact, I think they'll be travellin' socks at Christmas time.

And I've started what I'm calling the Stealth Sweater. Yes, if that yarn looks familiar, it should. It's the pink Geisha that I had so much of and I think I'm nearing the bottom of the barrel now. My gd had the first cardi made with this yarn - about two years ago. Now it's getting small but, in true kid style, she declares it fits well still. So, I'm trying to make one that is similar but bigger. I've chosen this pattern as the replacement. The first sweater was my own improvisation on a vintage pattern. I couldn't make another exactly the same if I wanted to. I'm sure Becky won't be fooled but she might like it just as much.

And my last venture was with the re-recycled yarn. This was a bit like repainting a dark wall white - lots of coats necessary to cover. So, after two baths in blue-black and two baths in black this is the result. I quite like it. It reminds me of a raven's black wings. When you look at them in the light you can see all sorts of colors which look black from a distance. I haven't managed to cover all the shades but I like the tonal effect. It has life. Sort of like having your hair colored in tones rather than a flat shade. Of course, Maria has to like it, too. So, it may be headed for another bath. We'll wait and see.

And now I wish all of you, my blogging friends, a very happy Christmas! "May your days be merry and bright" even if your Christmas isn't white - it'll be rain here on the West Coast.

Garden sweets

2011-12-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

Everything outside was sprinkled with frost yesterday.

I thought it made the leaves look as though they had been coated with sugar crystals.

Even though it is cold for most of the garden, there are some spots of color like the winter jasmine

And the cyclamen which is getting a bit tattered now. These plants wait for the cold weather before they decide to flower.

Just another shot of sugar...it's the season for it.

Two things

2011-12-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we delivered a bin of cleaned-up babies and another bin of small toys to the thrift shop in time for today's last open day before Christmas. I'm always astonished at the amount of stuff that people donate. And the wonderful variety.

I was just idly glancing over at the books - not that I need another book - and I recognized a Nicky Epstein book. Now the prices here are ~~insanely cheap~~ very reasonable so, even though I don't actually need another 'needle' book, I couldn't help popping it in my bag. As you can see, it's in great condition...I had to give it a home. A closer look showed that it is crochet rather than knitting. This morning, I sat down and looked through it and was blown away by all the different patterns. I used to do a lot of crochet - I could be tempted again. Some pretty nice stuff in here.

This morning I began the next step in the reclamation process for my beautiful painted yarn. It really looks so pretty when skeined. But, unfortunately, it's not all that great when worked alone. That was why I had alternated it with plain blue in its former life. So, while it's pretty, it's not useful - into the dye pot it will go. I'm still deciding what color will work best. Right now I'm leaning towards a dark blue/purple. It may take a couple of tries to cover the colors, though.

I'm going back to my niddy-noddy now.

Chattin'

2011-12-21T08:41:00.000-08:00

Something special today for the chat on the front porch.

It's kind of cold for the porch and Patrice has invited us right into her living room. No, really. She made a little video and showed us her favorite ornamnets and her beautiful Christmas tree. Best of all, I could see her and hear her. And, now let's join in the chat...

Via video, Patrice asks: What is your favorite Christmas tradition? That would be the stockings. I think the idea of filling up a stocking with small gifts for someone is what Christmas is all about. This tradition has evolved over the years but is always present. No matter how small a celebration we have, there are always stockings.

Big question that everybody seems to be asking this year: Are you ready for Christmas? Not quite...I still have some gifts to buy. There's grocery shopping to do and some goodies to make. Not a lot since all the big dinners and parties will be at other homes this year. But still, just a little fun.

And the last: What would you like to talk about if you were over at her house? Well, that's kind of funny because I really felt like I was at Patrice's house today. But I get it. I think I'd like to talk about the farm. I live in a city and I know I don't appreciate what it's like to live and work on a farm. Of course, I'd want a tour to meet all the animals - especially Wendell.

Why don't you hop over and have a visit with Patrice at Everyday Rurality?

A serious question

2011-12-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, there was a discussion at our house. Discussions happen fairly often lot but usually we come to a consensus quite quickly. As of last night we're agreeing to disagree.

As most of you know, we volunteer at a thrift shop. Me with my hundreds of dolls to clean and dress while Anne plays with toys, Legos and other interesting items to research, price and sell. I love the idea of recycling and reducing waste. Most are restored to almost new condition and quickly find new homes with people who also want to reduce our consumer footprint. You can't always find what you want in a thrift store but you usually want something that you find.

So, the discussion revolved around thrift shops and food banks and whether donating money is better than donating stuff. Institutions like the food bank (and I hate that it's an institution) ask for food donations because that's how people can be encouraged to give - every little bit helps. But, money is far more useful and goes farther. The idea that caused the ruckus was that of the thrift shop giving out gift certificates to needy families. The recipient could go in and buy anything up to the value of the gift card. It's part of the 'money is better' concept.

My issue revolves around choices and who makes them. If we choose to buy from a thrift store, then it's exactly that: a choice. I am fortunate to have many opportunities. There are people with fewer options and by confining them to a thrift store I've limited them. They can only buy used because that's all I'm giving. After all, it's better than going without.

To me , that's somewhat offensive. What do you think of the idea?

Sunday wonders - E

2011-12-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

E is for Excitement.

Two days ago, I wasn't feeling all that Christmassy. Then I got out the boxes. The big party isn't at our house this year, so we're being somewhat minimalist. I put out a line of small poinsettias...so far, so good.

Then, those Santas which made me smile. And remember. This collection started many years ago and each one has a story.

As did the three nativity sets that I've put out. I remember kids playing with the wooden scene. The pink ceramic are so delicate and lady-like. And I love the bright colors on the three tiny panels.

Add our little tree, Dougie, and suddenly it's Christmas. I'm pretty sure the excitement will grow more during the week as I make a few more preparations.

Saturday Stash

2011-12-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

What have I done this week? Not much in stash-busting - again. In fact, I'm growing my stash. But more on that in a minute.

I did finish the lovely poinsettia-red socks. I love the cable and rib and I will write up the pattern. After Christmas.

I loved the design so much that I'm using it again in this week's socks - yet another request. But this is not a surprise gift...and I have specific instructions. The pattern must stop for the foot which should make them knit up faster. I've been so busy this past week, that I fell asleep in the middle of a round last night. I also changed it up a bit with a 2x2 rib which flows right into the cable/rib design. And I've changed the toe as well. I've kept the heel-flap and made a traditional toe to match.

When I tire of knitting at my sock, I frog. This is was my Big Warm Sweater. It was the fourth attempt to work up my hand-painted hand-spun yarn with a blue hand-dyed yarn. But now the Big part is way too big. I wanted to save the yarn and perhaps over-dye it to make something fresh and new.

The two yarns alternate every two rows so that is a pain to unravel. But doable and I was getting in a little rhythm. Had almost the whole back taken apart. Then...I hit the ribbing. I can't figure out what kind of stitch was used and I'll have to go back to the pattern. The yarns are wound around each other in a way that makes everything horribly tangled. I don't want to lose any of the yarn so I will keep at it.

Whose idea was this anyhow? I'd definitely rather be knitting.

By request

2011-12-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

The other day I mentioned some of my favorite Christmas cookies. And I got requests for the recipes. I'm sorry I didn't include them at the time but it does require a bit of searching. 'Cuz I don't actually make these delights any more. But I did find them and I'm ready to share.

As I said these are recipes that my mother and grandmother used and I thought it would be fun to present them to you exactly as I have used the recipes for the past forty years that I've been making them. I think that they are quite clear in the photos. The Nanaimo Bars are from an old church cookbook (c 1954) that came to me after my mother passed away. You can see that this recipe has been made - a lot. For some reason, back then, this treat was called a London Smog Bar. Given that it uses Bird's custard powder, I would think that the bar has its origins in England.

However, the world knows it as a Nanaimo Bar. Not sure why since the city of Nanaimo is way across the world from London . Strange how that happened, isn't it? A Google search shows many recipes for Nanaimo Bars. There are even boxes of mix that you can buy but these are way too sweet for me. The photo isn't mine but this is almost exactly what my mom's would have looked like.

The next recipe is for Honey Cookies. This is what we call the cookies that my Grammy made. I'm told that she called them Jam-jams and always sandwiched them with jam. My preference is to leave them plain. Oh, and if they last until New Year's, they just get better and better. I think it's the honey that helps them mellow. My mother wrote this recipe out for me more than thirty years ago on a piece of yellow foolscap. Her writing is so clear that I doubt anyone would have trouble reading it. And, yes, it's had a lot of use, too.

If you make them...enjoy!

My gadgets

2011-12-15T09:36:00.000-08:00

No matter what we do there is a gadget to help us do it. Knitters have to carry around the weirdest bunch of little helpers. Madeleine over at Knit Purls of Wisdom asks the question: 'What do you use?' to hold all your special tools.

Over the years I've answered that question with: 'Whatever is handy'. Mostly I was wanting something that I could take with me for my travel knitting. For almost four years I've been using my Domino Gadget Bag which I used for practice knitting up those mitered squares designed by Vivian Hoxbro. I used remnants of sock yarn and added an attached I-cord binding and a red zipper - I love red! I discovered that the flannel lining that I used is perfect for storing my sewing-up needles, too.

As you can see, it isn't as tidy looking as it was for its first photo - taken before I actually used it. I've added the usual lozenge tin to hold all those ~~thousands of~~ many small things that get lost in the bottom of any bag no matter how small. There's room for pencils, stitch holders of all sizes and extra sock needles. Apparently, I have two pairs of scissors in there today...not sure how that happened. My tape used to be in a tidy proper container but somebody pulled it out too hard, too many times and now it just snakes around things. We're frugal...we cope.

I love my gadget bag and I think it's very useful. Small enough to go in any of my bags and big enough to hold anything that I could possibly need while away from home. In fact, this is with me all the time. It's the home bag, too.

This is a blog hop, you can visit Madeleine and take a look at what other folks are using.

Chattin'

2011-12-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

I think we're abandoning the chats on porch at Patrice's farmhouse for a while. The air is a little too fresh right now. Abandoning the porch, I mean, not the chats.

Right now I'm heading off to chat with whoever shows up. Actually, I think most everybody has already arrived. Let's see what they're all talking about today...

Where is your favorite place to think, reflect, or pray? My best thinking place is the shower. Some folks sing - I just think. Sometimes, I have really great ideas but mostly casual and unimportant thoughts just swim through my brain. It's not long enough to untangle a really knotty problem but I might have set myself on the right path by the time I turn off the water.

Did you believe in Santa as a kid? Oh yes, I did. I think I was probably seven before I heard even a hint that Santa wasn't real. Even in school, my friends all believed too. And when I did become aware, my mother cautioned me that lack of belief caused Santa to stop bringing gifts. This may have been my first experience with cynicism.

What's your favorite kind of Christmas cookie? You can add a recipe if you have time. When I was a kid, my mother only made Nanaimo bars at Christmas so these were something eagerly awaited. My Grammy always made honey cookies but my only experience with them was her recipe which my mother used. I never tasted my Grammy's but I liked my mom's. And I have always loved anything with ginger in it. Chewy gingersnaps were another of my mother's great recipes. These recipes were were usually only made at Christmas time because they used expensive ingredients or took a lot of time to make - or both.

Did you grow up around any of your grandparents? No. My family moved out west when I was small so there was a whole country between me and any other family. I actually never met my mother's parents and only saw my father's once before I was an adult.

What's your favorite winter sport-skiing, skating,sledding, other(?) ? If you are in a warm place, what is your favorite winter sport to watch when the Winter Olympics are televised? When I was a kid the best winter sport was sledding. We'd haul our sleds over to the golf course and slide down any hill we could find. Most were broad and easy but there was one I remember that was really crazy dangerous. Of course, that's the one we all wanted to be on. But it was policed by the older kids who kept smaller ones away and safe. No adults ever were around that I remember...sledding was for kids.

My favorite - and only - Winter Olympic sports to watch are the skating events. Both the figure skating and the speed skating are so graceful. Neither looks like the hard work that they are.

Well, that's it for this week. Great questions, Patrice.And thanks to you - and Wendell - for the great job hosting. If you want to join in the chat, just click on Everyday Rurality.

Sunday wonders - D

2011-12-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

D is for Daisy.

When it's cold outside, it's nice to remember that spring will come again. And with it will come the tiny English daisies whose blooms cover the grass in a park by the beach.

It's good to know that summer will return and bring the bright sun and the bright colors of our Painted Daisies.

And when the days are gray, I can imagine the hot summer blue sky and the stands of Shasta daisies that will be glowing white in the sunshine.

I like daisies of all kinds but I especially love the big white flowers with their bright yellow eyes. The white seems so immaculate and precise like a starched white Elizabethan ruff. The flowers stand so stiff and straight on their stalks daring the chewing bugs to come nibble at their perfection. Somehow those bugs don't bother them. Only a heavy rain can defeat a daisy. But since this is a summer memory, there is no rain in sight. My daisies are safe.

Saturday Stash

2011-12-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

So, what have I been doing this week? Well, I haven't been doing a whole lot of knitting, it seems. There have been a lot of meetings this week...some weeks are just like that. Yesterday, we catered a lunch for the seniors with baked ham, scalloped potatoes and salad with mince tarts and shortbread to finish. And, yes, for those who remember my loss of last years' tarts to the crows, I did manage to get them to the event!

Since it was my birthday, I got to give some gifts, too. The youngest sisters have received their pink cardigans. Fishergirl, Katie, was happy to try hers on and wear it the rest of the visit. And even though her Mom and I measured carefully, I swear she's grown since then. She will outgrow this one pretty quickly. I hope she wears it everyday until then. I have plans for the rest of the pink yarn and I'm determined to use it up before the end of December.

I have been knitting some request socks. They don't really belong in the stash report because they are new yarn but I'd have nothing to show for the week if not here. These are for a Christmas gift but that person won't see this so I can share. I'm particularly happy with the red socks. The pattern is my own and the red is almost the color of a poinsettia. Very seasonal to get me in the mood.

And here is a new purchase which will help with the stash-busting. For a while now I have been wanting a new lamp where I knit. I tried new light bulbs but they made no real difference. I know, it's that birthday - everything was fine before that. I've been thinking of an Ottlight because the daylight fluorescent light works well for me but not seriously shopping for one. Then you know how you find the perfect item that you're not really looking for but the time is right? The time was right: I bought the lamp above. It required a major bit of furniture-moving to find the right place. Now I can see my work - every stitch shows up. Hurrah! It does look a bit like a cobra peering over my shoulder, though.

And last, I started a new scarf because I needed some easy lace in my life. This is very simple and requires little thought. But with those colors, I would only have been working in daylight! More hurrahs! I took my photos outside because I liked the look of the old branches and leaves against the knit. But did you notice the little green buds below the scarf? They really should go back to sleep...the winter hasn't really come yet.

The morning after

2011-12-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! It was a lovely day which started out in the most ordinary way and ended with a pop-up party!

Photo taken by Jiji

I arrived home from my piano lesson to find my younger son waiting for me. After a nice long visit, he went off to work. I settled back to some work at the computer. OK, that's what I call it when I'm playing. There was an elfin knock at the front door. Now, when I hear that kind of tapping, I just know that it is these little people who are calling.

They had brought Mom & Dad and they had brought a party. The banner, the balloons and a beautifully colored picture. I was too busy holding little Gabby and they were too busy frosting the cupcakes to take photos then. So these are morning-after pics. Unfortunately back-lit banners don't show up as well.

These are what remains of the cupcakes. This was a bit of fun that Anne found and she managed to get them baked without me discovering them. She also made a birthday party with ice cream, cake and good old hot dogs. Plus a bunch of other good stuff. And all right under my nose. I had no clue it was going to happen. Things were hidden in out of the way corners - but remember in this house it's not hard to hide.

We had a lovely time, lots of laughing and silliness. Words were made on the fridge with the Scrabble letters. Dolls were dressed and undressed and the play food was strewn around the living room. So good.

Chattin'

2011-12-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

Winter has finally driven us in from the front porch. But Patrice has a warm room and warmer hospitality.

There's a lot of folks here already so let's see what the chat's about today...

Have you ever had a blog slump? Oh my, yes. Sometimes, it's because I'm too busy and some times because I'm not busy enough. When I'm too busy, it's hard to settle down and write - or - read blogs. When I'm not busy enough I sometimes have trouble finding stuff that I want to write about. These slumps usually disappear in a couple of days, though. I've never had one last for longer. Yet.

What's your favorite way to serve hot chocolate (cocoa)? Marshmallows on top? Whipped Cream? A cinnamon stick? I haven't had hot chocolate for many years. I think I stopped drinking it when i stopped drinking coffee. Not sure that there's any real connection but who knows? But, if I were to try again I think the cinnamon would be my first choice. I like cinnamon a lot!

How do you handle it when you see someone you think you know, but cannot place? Do you approach them and ask, shy away, or just go home and hope you don't think of it at 2am? I'm pretty sure that would never happen. I've got an excellent recall for faces and names. But knowing myself if I did have such an experience, I would assume that this person was not someone I really knew and pass by. I once walked by a TV anchor in a shopping mall and there was definitely that feeling of "I should know you". It did take me a minute to place him mostly because he was so much shorter than I had imagined! And,no, I didn't say anything to him at all. I was pretty sure he wouldn't remember me from all the 6 pm newscasts.

What was your position in your family? Were you the oldest, a middle child, the youngest or an only child? I was the oldest of five. Mostly that was a great place to be but sometimes the responsibility was more than I wanted - or felt I deserved. I always felt that I deserved the privileges, though. And you can be sure that I wasn't above lording over the younger ones - especially my brother! Now, with our parents both gone, it's strange to think that I am the 'head' of this particular branch of the family. Good thing we don't really do that matriarch thing in our family- that would be just way too responsibility for me.

How do you handle accumulated possessions (stuff)? Are you a pack-rat, a minimalist, or somewhere in between? I admire minimalism. I really, really do. It's just not a very practical way to live for me. There's always so much going on and things to do. 'Out of sight, out of mind' should be my motto. Everybody knows I have trunks of yarn. Did you also know I have cupboards full of wool fabric for hooking? And sharing those cupboards are the boxes of quilt fabric. All are sorted into colors so it's not just a jumble. I don;t think these stashes make me a pack rat exactly. But I do admit to never letting a horizontal surface remain bare.

And, now, since today is my birthday, I'm going to share an question with you all. I was asked this the other day: What was your favorite birthday?

I'm not sure I had a favorite but it did start me thinking. What I thought was that we spend a lot of time when we're kids waiting for that milestone birthday. Like when the single digits become two or when we turn sixteen and can learn to drive. I remember being very impatient to be twenty-one and finally considered an adult. After that other people made more fuss about the passing years than I did. Thirty, forty, fifty - even sixty...I was still me. But, now at sixty-five, I've hit another milestone. Although it's kind of a reverse turn in the road. Apparently, I'm no longer quite as adult as I was. At least in the government's eyes. I have crossed the last threshold to the land of discounts (OK, I've been here for a while), free ferries and cheaper bus passes. But, I am learning to be gracious and accept all these gifts. I'm still me...and in my mind I'm not a day over twenty-one!

It's a good day. Thanks, Patrice, for hosting the chat today. If you want to join in, visit her at Everyday Rurality. There's always room.

Sunday Wonders - C

2011-12-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

C is for Christmas. I'm so predictable.

This past week has been all about Christmas preparations and celebrations of the coming season for the community. The lovely heritage house where our seniors' meet gets the party started with lighting up the house. This year the kids were paying close attention to the elf who makes balloon shapes.

We wait outside for the lights to be turned on...

This is part of the 'gingerbread house' theme. And the lights are on!

The next day, our Coronation Street gang welcomed the royal wedding party to our potluck lunch. Yes, one of our members knit all the figures - including two corgis. Our theme was British food with yummy pub fare: sharp cheddar, Melton Mowbray pie and pickled onions. And, of course, there were some Christmas-sy goodies to share like mince tarts and shortbread.

Yesterday, we decorated our tree in the Village Square. About thirty trees will be lit up this evening and stay lit until after New Year's. The community gets to vote on their favorite trees. It's a fundraiser so the only prize is bragging rights. It was pretty cold tying stuff on the tree but a cup of hot chai afterwards warmed my hands. And I felt good inside too. Something about working with a team adds to my festive spirit.

PS. None of these photos are mine. Thanks to the photographers - you know who you are!

Saturday Stash

2011-12-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here I am at Saturday again. Man, that came quick! You would think that I would have lots and lots of little gifty things to share today. Not at all. It's been very busy with meetings and other fun stuff.

What I do have is this sweet cardi which is for Littlest Sister, Gabby. This completes the trilogy of cardis for the three sisters. I used this pattern by Carole Barenys. So easy and fun - no seaming - I might make a few more. As you can see, I am once again button-challenged. I have a Mason jar full of pink buttons in every shade you can imagine. Yet only three matching ones that were the right color. The flower is a bit of continuity since biggest sister has some on her sweater. The hippo I found after rummaging through a cupboard. I just KNEW there were more buttons somewhere. But, alas, there was only the one. Isn't she a cute hippo?

I also have two different socks on the needles but they are gifts I can't post about until after Christmas. As far as the stash reduction success goes...not a lot. The pink yarn is still from the humongous lot I got for $5. It goes such a long way and I feel sometimes that this never-ending yarn is all I've knit up. And yet I'm not tired of the color. Or the yarn. It's amazingly versatile and I'm wondering what pattern or technique I can make it do next. There's enough to make another adult item: I'm thinking. And it's always a good excuse to get out all the pattern books for a good search. A nice job for a rainy day.

But since the day is dry, I shall enjoy the outdoors instead.

Opening Doors

2011-12-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

When the kids have all grown up and left the nest, things change. To me, Christmas is when it is most noticeable. It's not a sad change for me but sometimes, just sometimes, it would be nice to bring back those times.

One of the Christmas traditions at our house was the Advent calendars. These would be - usually - gifts to the younger kids with little doors that they could open each day. All that was inside was a small picture but it seemed to be enough to keep them waiting for the next day's offering.

When I first learned to quilt, I made a pieced tree that we hung an ornament on each day. This photo isn't it - it sort of looked like this. But I don't seem to have any photos and it's not around any more. I'm pretty sure it went to one of the kids. In any case, we don't put one up because, well, we're not kids, are we?

The other day, as the first of December approached, I was thinking about those calendars and I just had a wish that I could have some kids around so I could have a calendar. One of those fleeting thoughts that doesn't usually take up residence. This one seemed to have very strong vibes to send out into the universe.

Because shortly after I was thinking about an Advent calendar an email pops into my inbox that a good friend has sent me a Advent e-calendar. I jumped right into action and clicked and installed. Then I had to wait. I was worse than my kids ever were for impatience. Then, right on schedule the first door was unlocked. And, each day I look forward to adding another bit of fun to my village. Wasn't it wonderful that my fleeting thought got all the way to my friend? Thank you, Penny, for reading my mind.

Then, on the first day of December, another gift arrived. Cindy began an A-Z of Christmas in her blog. Each day, she blogs about Christmas memories, crafts and recipes that make her Christmas season special. It's like opening a little door, too - and finding the treat inside. Thanks to both of you for letting me feel like a kid again.

Front porch chattin'

2011-11-30T11:40:00.000-08:00

Oh, I thought it was the wrong day! Then, I walked down the road but no one seemed to be home. Except for Wendell, of course. He's got an interesting style of hosting. Invited us to the barn, offered his own hay... good thing Patrice showed up. So, here we are and the chat has started right in.

What's your favorite day of the week? Why?   I'm not sure I have a favorite day of the week, really. I do love those 'bonus' days when you have an unexpected day off from something you do on a regular basis. Sort of like a snow day off from school. I can just read or knit the whole day away.

What's your favorite Christmas movie? Again, no real favorite. I don't really like the modern movies much, they're pretty silly. So, I think if I were going to be asked to choose, it would be almost any of the old black and white movies. They all have a gentleness and a seriousness that I find appealing.

Is there a Christmas Carol that's special to you? Right now, I'm practicing 'Once in Royal David's City' for my piano workshop in December. So that gives it a specialness right now. And I guess I have some special feeling for it since I chose it from all that were in my book to play that day.

Is there an art or craft that you'd love to be able to do? Oh, I'd love to be able to weave. But it takes up so much room. And I already take up a lot of room with knitting, quilting and rug-hooking. Even if I'm not always active, the materials don't take up less room while they wait for me to come play with them.

Do you have a live Christmas tree or an artificial one? Artificial because of allergies. And, small because of lack of space for a big tree. Did someone say maybe I should shove some wool aside?

And now it's time to go visiting everyone. If you want to join in, just hop over to Everyday Rurality...we're still talking.

Cyber Monday!

2011-11-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

Really??

I resisted Black Friday and blacker Saturday. I can go into yarn stores and just buy that special needle size. I can squeeze the yarns for their softness and admire their colors. Then I can walk away and leave them on the shelf. Because I have Taken The Pledge.

But, now this Cyber Monday thing has been invented to seduce me! More yarns than I could ever see in a dozen yarn stores are right there at my fingertips. I need to be locked up. "No, stay strong", says the clear little voice in my right ear. "Oh, go ahead", says the smooth voice in my left ear, "You'll be buying again in January. Then you can use these yarns. Just put them away until then. Think of the savings."

So far, I have resisted. How long does this thing go on for? Just one day? Hah! Fibbers, all. Knit Picks lasts 'til Wednesday. I'm afraid to look at any more. elann and Simply Socks have quietly slipped their temptations into my inbox. Of course, I looked. That's the easy part.

Now, I have you all on my side. You'll save me...right?

Sunday wonders - B

2011-11-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

B is for Birds. I don't think of myself as a bird-watcher in the 'twitcher' sort of way. In fact, this became very clear on our trip to the canyons. Our guide was a serious bird-watcher...it was hard for me to keep up. I just like to watch birds do their bird thing. I'm amazed at how some have extraordinarily beautiful coloring and some are so very plain. And it's fascinating that they all have their special seasons and habits which help them to survive.

There are winter birds who visit us in the fall on their way to warmer nesting grounds, like the snow geese.

The robins come back to us in the spring when our ground is warmer and the food is more plentiful for those begging beaks of their chicks.

Mother and Father Goose go everywhere with their family in tow...

The great blue heron hunts in solitary patience...

While others feed communally - and with some help from their human friends.

Some birds seem familiar to us, like this moor hen we found paddling in Ireland. At first glance, we just said: 'oh, a coot'. But, when we looked closely, we realized that it was an exotic kind of coot with a brilliant beak and a different name.

There are birds that don't mind standing out on a rainy, fall day...

And birds that like the drier, warmer weather and find it difficult to fly in the rain.

There are homely birds who take shelter from the noon sun in summer...

And birds who are with us year-round - even in the snow.

Birds can be any color at all. Some blend in with their surroundings...

And others don't seem to blend at all.
All are worth watching. It's easy - and free.

Saturday Stash

2011-11-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

Back again with the stash report. I've just come in from my front porch photo shoot. The wind was blowing rain at me and I was ducking the flying leaves but I did manage to click the shutter a couple of times.

I've been slower this week. But that's what comes of being single-minded. I usually have about four things going at once these days and I work on each - a little bit. But this week, I was determined to finish the cardigan for Katie. I call it the Fishergirl's Cardi - there are two bright pink 'fish' buttons which don't seem to show very well. And it's an adaptation of the warm cabled sweaters many northern fishermen wear. I love how the soft yarn has made such a tough-looking design very feminine without losing stitch definition.

And I'm sure you all remember how I cast on for the Herb Garden stole back at the beginning of September. Sure you do. I cast on, knit two rows and put it away to work on later. Then we went on holiday and I kind of forgot about the stole. I came across it the other day. I've now done 60 rows. I'm loving the color. It's perfect for the days when you wonder if spring will ever come again. The greens are so vivid and make me smile.

And, then, the other day, I had a conference call scheduled. I meant to get some knitting going but left it too late. So, I grabbed some white cotton yarn and my needles and cast on during the call. This is what is emerging from the needles. I call them Snowberry Socks. Usually, my patterning goes down the foot but this 'berry' pattern wasn't looking like something I would want to wear inside a shoe. And, I really wanted to make some socks using this stitch pattern. Compromise position is to have three bands of berries around the leg.

So, that's this week. According to my photo labels this is week number 22 of reporting how I've been using up my stash. One month and a bit to go...

Black Friday?

2011-11-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

I don't like the name for this particular day in the year - at all. I know it is a very positive comment on the day for merchants - and their customers - who are depending on their bottom line. And I appreciate that. But I think that Black Friday sounds more like a disaster than upward mobility in the finance department.

This is the view from my kitchen window this morning. I'm looking east instead of north from the computer - lots of mountains around us. And it is so not a 'black' Friday. It's a sparkly new day with the snow and the sun exactly where they should be. It was a horrible, blustery day yesterday. Now look at our reward! It's time to go outside and play.

Front porch chattin'

2011-11-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

It's Wednesday again! It's isn't snowing hereanymore but I wouldn't want to be sitting out on the porch today. I'm glad that Patrice has invited us inside. As long as people are chatting, I don't think we much care where we are, really.

There are already quite a few people gathered and the conversation is buzzin'. I'll have to jump in and catch up quickly. Here's today's starters:

What are you thankful for? I'm thankful for my wonderful life - and everything in it. I am free to do whatever I choose to do. It doesn't get any better than that.

Jellied cranberry or whole berry cranberry? No contest. Whole berry and homemade. I can control the sweet level when I do it myself. I like it on the tart side.

How many will sit at your dinner table Thursday? Two. We've already had our Thanksgiving here in Canada. So, it's just another Thursday to us.

Would anyone who visits the porch be interested in some type of Christmas card or small gift exchange? Just keepin' it real - I don't send Christmas cards any more.

Do you venture out on Black Friday? I wouldn't. Much as I like shopping, I'd stay home on any day when the stores would be filled with bargain-hungry shoppers. Here, it's Boxing Day. I'm staying home and knitting.

Time to head out and do some of those things I choose to do. Head on over to the chat yourself...it's right here. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday wonders - A

2011-11-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

A is for Alphabet. Why didn't I think of this one sooner?

I love fridge magnets. I used to have a huge collection of them on my fridge. You know it's such a chore to take them all down and clean the fridge door. So, you can guess what doesn't happen...and the next consequence? No magnets at all. But I became a fan of those instant poetry magnetic word sets. They could be a great hit at family gatherings because everyone ends up in the kitchen sooner or later. But I'm also ~~cheap~~ thrifty and figured we could make something even more fun.

So, we found some old Scrabble games, a bottle of glue and some magnet tape. Using the letters of our grandkids' names, we had our own word game. It started off a bit slow but it got better as new kids came into our lives - more letters to play with. There were various challenges: using up all the letters to make a coherent sentence was one for the adults. But the kids learned to spell, too, and had their own little fun with the letters. My all-time favorite sentence was: "Ale rocks ya brain". There have been some definite literary liberties taken along the way to greatness.

Now, it's time to pull out the letter box again and fill in the latest name. Gabby needs her name to be added to the roll call. That'll give us a little letter boost.

And, by now, you've all realized that I am addicted to this alphabet thing on a Sunday, too. I began this little ritual in March of 2009. There are two rounds of the alphabet in a year. I have gone round the letters five times since then. This time around, I want to look back on some of my favorites, perhaps updating, or adding to, my earlier thoughts.

Saturday Stash

2011-11-19T07:58:00.000-08:00

So, yes, the crazy cold white stuff did melt away by noon, yesterday. The memo for snow bust have been delivered way too early. Glad someone put it back in the Inbox. The skies are clear. It's cold but that's OK.

I have not been very diligent with the knitting this week...a lot of volunteering seems to have been going on around here. Yesterday. we cooked up a ton of butter chicken, roti and rice for an Indian lunch at the seniors center. This was to complement our guest speaker: a local woman who spent three months in India volunteering as an English teacher to children in a leper colony. Yes, they still have them even though the disease is completely treatable now. The kids - who are quite healthy - are not allowed to go to the public schools.

I did manage to finish the blue cable socks. Sorry I don't have a photo yet. And I have started a 'request' cardi for my middle gd, who likes to wear clothes that match big sister's. The pink Geisha yarn, that I have so much of, will make a lovely version of the Tuckernuck cardi.

The yarn is slightly fuzzy but has great body and seems to hold stitch definition quite well. It's softer than a regular worsted but that makes the pattern more interesting to me. Best of all, from a mom point of view, the yarn is washable.

Now I'm off. Today we are selling books and crafts. We have a lunch ready for the volunteers, too. These things take time to prepare for.

Ack!

2011-11-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

This is my view this morning!

This was not what I had hoped to see. I like my snow to have the good sense to stay up on that mountain. The sun is out now. I hope the storm has passed and the white stuff will be just a memory by noon.

Front porch chattin'

2011-11-16T09:10:00.001-08:00

Living out here on the West Coast, I'm always a bit late to the party at Patrice's place.

Thanks for waitin', everybody. I've brought some carrots for Wendell. I know they're nothing like the real thing but it's the thought that counts...right?   I think the conversation is already in progress. I'll jump right in...

Where would you take the blogger group for a chat, if they came to your house? Well, since it's kind of cold out right now for sitting on the deck, I think we'd have to make do with the living room and keep warm around the fireplace.   It would be a lot nicer in the summer, though. Let's plan on that.

How do you handle "toxic people"? They're the ones that are very difficult to be around and generally don't bring out the best in us. I don't actually have any toxic people in my life. I think that tells you how I deal with them...I just steer clear. If I have to deal with unpleasantness, it depends on how well I know the person. The responses range from super-polite to not-so. I'm not much like my mother: the more she disliked someone, the sweeter she became. You could always tell.

In high school, were you the athlete, the cheerleader (actual or just your personality), the geek, the social butterfly, or lost? I was never the athlete, not ever. I was always a geek. Never a cheerleader but I've always been a pretty good coach. In my own geeky set, I was a social butterfly - relatively speaking. And the only time I was ever lost in high school is in my dreams. When I'm stressed in my life, I dream about not being able to find my locker. Or being unable to find the classroom I need to be in.

What's your favorite thing made from apples? Hands down, apple crisp. If you have a couple of stalks of rhubarb that just makes it even better. But, I hardly ever eat desserts now. I do eat an apple almost every day. Raw. Now that's real perfection.

Do you do most of your shopping in stores or online? Stores. I live within walking distance from all the shopping I normally need to do. I can get in the car and find several more shopping areas if I'm needing some retail therapy. Or I can hop on a bus and be in the big city in half an hour.    I admit to the occasional online purchase of yarn, though. Sometimes the deals are too good to ignore.

And now I'm off to find out what's been said before I got here. Check out the chat right here. You could sign up and add to the growing number on the porch.

It's here!

2011-11-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

I woke up to a layer of frost on everything outside. Winter has arrived.

This is the view I have while I work at my computer.

But let's take a closer look. These mountains aren't more than a half-hour walk away from us.

This is what happens after we celebrate all those glorious fall leaf colors. Let's button up our overcoats. It's supposed to be a cold winter.

Sunday wonders - Z

2011-11-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

Z is for Zoomer.

No, not the brand of swim fins for competitve and long distance swimmers.

And, not the name of a toy for kids.

Zoomers are, apparently, 'boomers with zip'. Baby boomers, that is. Those of us who were born after World War Two when all the service men and women were back home. The Boomers have long been known as a demographic for marketers to plunder. I am a part of that baby boom.

So, since we're aging and perhaps not as big in the spending department, Moses Znaimer, a go-getting kind of fellow has decided that Canada (and probably the world) need some new boomers. So, he's coined a new word and added a whole new generation Now, you can be a marketing target when you're 45. I'm sure I'm not being too cynical here at all.

Now when you buy a membership in CARP which I thought was the Canadian Association of Retired People, I discovered that you became a member of this Zoomer thing because Mr Znaimer has bought it all and renamed everything. No longer 'R for retired', we are now 'R for rejuvenated'. There's also a glossy and encouraging magazine for Zoomers.

Someone talked me into buying a membership because of my seniors' association role. I've decided let my membership lapse because I just can't relate to all this zippy aging in this connected sort of way. To me, that's what we original baby Boomers were. Original. Independent. Non-conformist.

This is a zoomer. It is a machine. It is not a human.

Saturday stash

2011-11-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting for the light to be brighter for picture taking. I'm not very happy with flash photographs. It's the color change or maybe the warmth. Don't know why but I totally prefer daylight. So, I was knitting while I waited for the darkness to lift. It seems to take longer every morning. While sitting on the cold front step, I was reminded of my mother constantly warning us kids to not sit on cold concrete. She said we'd get piles. Since, in our feckless youth, we had no idea what she was talking about we kept on doing it. Clearly, I never did learn.

This week I've been happily knitting on my favorite sock needles. While sock yarn use doesn't make a huge dent in the stash, I need to knit round and round with skinny yarn and little needles on a regular basis. Like eating the right food for my body, a sock diet is necessary and makes me happy.

One sock, two sock...

One of the yarns I found in the stash was a vintage sock yarn. Now, this yarrn might date to 1953 considering that it's a blend of wool and nylon crimpset - whatever that is. But it's anti-shrink, anti-stretch and permanently mothproofed. Can't ask for more than that. When you rummage around in thrift shops for yarn, sock weight is not easy to find. I remember reaching for the color first and being delighted to find that it was for socks.
In my imagination eye, I've been seeing these gold ribbon socks almost since I saw the yarn. This week was time to make it real. Since I was inventing this sock pattern, I went round and round for a long time while I tried to figure out what I would do with the heel. I ran the ribbon into the heel, FYI. Then, I had to decide whether to continue wrapping the ribbon around the foot or just give the illusion. I really like the result. And the yarn is wonderful to knit..very soft and smooth. And mothproof!

Gold sock, blue sock...

I've already confessed to frogging those long lace stockings. The yarn didn't hibernate for long. I believe that yarn always knows what it wants to be - see gold ribbon story above. My teal wool is very strong and springy. I'm now convinced that it wasn't happy as lace and with every round I was feeling its frustration and annoyance at being all dolled up like a lady. So, I gave in and devised a cable and rib pattern that looks as sturdy and useful as the yarn. These are not plain socks but the pattern has a lot of strength and solidity as well as grace. Another happy result.

Kind of a surprise are these purple mohair mitts-to-be. I have a ton of this mohair - don't ask. Some is dyed in very intense shades of emerald, fuschia and purple. I have an enormous cone of undyed as well. Can you see how fine it is? And then look at the mitten...it fluffs out so much in the knitting process. These will be pretty warm mitts, I think. I'm not sure what I'll do with it all.

And, for the really tiny feet in this world: Zen Flower booties. I wondered if I could knit a tiny version of those frilly scarfs and get a flower. Yes, I can but it's not very practical and so many stitches on a small needle is a killer - maybe easier in a finer yarn. They make a sweet decoration on baby slippers, though. Can you see the tiny heart in the middle?

I'm back to knitting. I want to finish the gold sock this morning. Then I'll decide which project to pick up next.

Remembering

2011-11-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Today, I'll be placing a wreath at our local cenotaph on behalf of our seniors' association. Our members include veterans of our Canadian Forces as well as those they left behind. Wives, daughters, mothers, sisters, sweethearts.

And, today, I'll be remembering this young man whose mother saw him off to war never knowing if he would come home again. The young man I never knew because like all the young men who were excited to see something other than their small towns, hoping to learn how to fly a plane and eager to serve their country, he left his youth very far away. I think Dad's might be somewhere over Africa, floating in the air forever.

My Dad did come back. So many didn't. Those who did - and still do because war seems to be an eternal human state- are forever changed. I know I'll never even come close to imagining what his memories were like.

Frogs and time

2011-11-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is approaching and so is the end of the Time Machine version of the Birth Year reading challenge.

While I'm doing better with the books than last year, I doubt I'll win any prizes this time either. The truth is that because it's difficult to find the books from 1953 that I want to read, I'm not reading any on the fairly long list. The ones I can find I don't particularly want to spend time on. And I sort of knew this might happen. So, I devised a clever little additional challenge of my own. Remember the 1953 lacy stockings?

Yes, we can sometimes be too clever. Knitting lace stockings from a period pattern seemed like an excellent idea at the time. I hopped right to the needles, cast on some pretty yarn and got going on my project. Then, my other stash pledge sort of edged out time spent knitting the stockings. No matter, I have all year, right? So now, here we are , nearing the end of that not-so-long year.

I had knit to the calf of one stocking (top down) and the rests in between kept getting longer and longer. I finally picked it up yesterday and realized that I no longer wanted to knit these. So, rip-it, rip-it, rip-it. Before I even could think twice, I had added to the frog pond. I'm not unhappy about my decision except that I quit! I hate quitting! And this was such clever plan...wah!

Happily, that yarn is on its way to becoming something new...more on Saturday.

Front porch chattin'

2011-11-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

Today is a funny, busy kind of day. Funny because all the busy-ness is so different. I have to prepare for a meeting which is super-important to me. I have a piano lesson this afternoon and, of course, there will be some practicing involved before that. Then the meeting. And, then, I get a treat: dinner out with the seniors Dine Out group! We're going to a local Chinese restaurant which is supposed to be very nice with great food. I'm looking forward to that.

So, right now, I'm happy to pick up my knitting and head on over to Patrice's front porch for a cup of hot tea and some relaxing chit-chat. Just let my mind unkink from all its convoluted thinking. It's a bit wet and cold here for front porches - nice to head off somewhere else. Let's listen in:

Dreaming asks: What accomplishments make you the most proud? Right. Let's start off with something really hard. Since I'm a mom, I guess I'd say my kids. But only the fact of them not what they have become. Not that I'm not proud of them. No, it's just that I can't take all of the credit...in fact they're a team project from the get-go, aren't they? But, they're my best event ever!

Suzanne asks: When did your family first come to the country which you now live? Both my parents' ancestors have been in Canada since the mid 1700's.

Wendell asks: What's your favorite way to serve carrots? Well, Wendell, I actually like mine raw just like you do - and no dip. BTW, I've got a couple here in my knitting bag for you. When I cook carrots, I like them steamed with a little butter and dill.

Do you decorate with anything that has Santa or Father Christmas when you prepare for Christmas? One of my favorite parts of decorating is getting out my Santa/Father Christmas collection. I like to see the pieces emerge from their wrapping each year. I usually only remember the bigger ones. There's always a surprise or two! Each one has a memory attached: where I bought it, who gave it to me or who made.

Do you prefer big dogs or small dogs? Something in between, maybe? I'm not a true dog lover and I don't think think I would ever share my home with one. So, this would be a hypothetical dog, right? I think a medium-sized dog. I enjoy watching dogs work, especially the herding dogs. I like their speed and agility and their intelligence. Actually, most big dogs scare me and many small dogs seem silly. I can appreciate their cute factor, though. .

It's always good to relax with friends. Now it's time to go and face the world. If you would like to join in the chat, just hop over to the porch at Everyday Rurality. A nice place to visit.

Sunday wonders - Y

2011-11-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

Y is for Year. The clues are all adding up: this year is slowly fading.

But, like the aging boomers, some plants seem to want to hang on to their youth. I'm not sure why so many of the vine maples have these fresh-looking toupees perched on top of their bare branches.

Others, like the blueberry bush, go out in a blaze of glory. The whole garden glows just before these leaves fall to the ground. Then, there's a bright carpet of red.

Some flowers just keep on keepin' on. Even though the frost has come a couple of nights, there are still vibrant pink flowers, buds and green leaves on this hollyhock.

Now, the Beautyberry does exactly what it's supposed to be doing. It produces exotic purple berries to feed the many birds that visit. These berries will endure through the winter. For some reason, and it may be timing, the robins do not eat them. So, while the mountain ash berries are stripped off in a matter of days, these are eaten in a more thoughtful manner by smaller birds.

And, as if I hadn't got all those clues sent out by nature...here's the clincher:

I get an extra hour of sleep - totally unnecessary - and it will be dark sooner this evening.

Saturday Stash

2011-11-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Not a lot to show for my week. But it feels like I've been knitting for hours and hours each day. It's these ruffles.

Told you I couldn't stop at one. Some are faster than others but they all made me slow down some. I think that happens whenever you knit a scarf sideways, though. And, I think it's nicer in a way to knit them longways on a lot of stitches rather than back and forth on fewer stitches. The constant turning from row to row is a nuisance, too.

I kept rummaging in the fancy yarns for yarns I thought would make good ruffles. I tried a chunky yarn and some mohair/acrylic blends. For the past two days, I've been working on the teal/purple which is a mohair that knits like very fine lace weight. It ends up more substantial when knitted up but it's hard to make the increases on big needles and spider web yarn. I love the springiness of the ruffles - and so soft. I think almost any yarn would work for this effect.

While I was in a marathon sort of mood, I also made a couple of pairs of baby slippers. They look huge but are only for the little non-walking babies. Like booties. The yellow ones are from the original Debbie Bliss pattern but I made the gray ones first. I didn't want to do the hard work of making that nifty sole side in the yellow so just made a reverse stocking stitch instead. I also miscounted when doing the tops and came out with a different cuff.

I wasn't going to put ears or face on them at all but thought well, gray could be a cat. Hah! It turned into a ~~rat~~ mouse. I didn't get the ears pointy enough or something. I'll make these again...the fussy sole thing, too. It really does give the sole a more tailored and modern look. But I will not be making any more ears. Sheesh! There were sixteen pieces to sew together - and on the boot - for just these two pair. This process takes as long as the whole slipper. And, in case you didn't know, I hate finishing. Without the ears/face, these are a snap to finish. And, I think while they are cute, the ears might be impractical. Not sure why I think that. The original pattern also has a pom-pom tail. Now that is impractical. But cute.

So, there's the stash report. It's definitely going down. I can see the difference when I open the chest(s) now. One of the most fun parts of this challenge is searching for patterns that will work with my motley bunch of yarns - many just one or two skeins. What new patterns can I find this week? There are so many kind designers who put their patterns up for free. I am very grateful to them all.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-11-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the recurring virus issue overcame one of our desktop computers. So, after much research and thought, we paid a visit to the Apple store. And came home with something completely different.

Since it wasn't for me, I was just the chauffeur and tag-along eyes and ears. So I was free to look around and appreciate the experience. And, oh my, what an experience it was. First of all, we had to drive to an up-scale mall in the city. Made the nicest local mall seem pretty low on the market pole.

This store is the most aesthetically pleasing place I've been in - ever! Walking through the doors, was like walking into computer heaven. It is so light, bright and airy it is like being on a cloud. That iCloud thingie seems completely appropriate. The effect is achieved with light and no clutter. Every housekeeper's dream. The lights are so bright, I wish I had even one when I'm knitting at night.

The store is huge. There were at least 35 blue T-shirted ~~angels~~ staff busy with customers everywhere. They were selling, explaining, training and problem-solving with mostly older customers. The floor has several large, light wood tables - long enough to hold three computers. There are no cables trailing - they are all in one spiral umbilical cord from floor to underneath the table top. The computers appear to have no tethers and seem ready to float off into the air. So light and thin they are.

Look, ma! No wires!

The walls are white. Most of the products are brushed silver or white. The packaging is white. The lettering is a discreet gray and the logo just floats on its own without words. Who needs them? Our angel was a very nice young man who was patient and chatty and helpful. When the deal was made, there wasn't anything as crass as a cash point - it's all done with handhelds and texting. Lovely. The receipt discreetly emerged from somewhere under the table.

Soon another helpful young man is patiently helping Anne set up her very own Mac. I did a lot of browsing on the shelves during this time. I loved some of the product names...my favorite is Bento Box. Don't ask me what it does. I know what a bento box is but I couldn't translate that into a computer function. Then another young man carried the purchase out to the car and the adventure was all over. For me anyway. Now, someone else's learning begins. There are frequent cries of delight as some new trick is discovered. And the occasional moan when things get a little too different. I am not tempted - yet!

The Zen of Ruffles

2011-11-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

When is knitting like meditation?

This bear is wearing six feet of ruffles!

When you're knitting one of these ruffled scarves. I used this pattern by Jill Bujold for the first one. Yes, I've done several now. They are so easy and I can do all kinds of variations. Where does the meditation come in? I can hear you asking.

The trick with these ruffles is to start with x number of stitches. It doesn't matter because you can make this as long or short as you want depending on yarn and love of ruffles. Every other row is doubled - I have four increase rows - so you can imagine the stitch count rocketing upwards. Knit each row (simple) and then you bind off. The spirals and ruffles are the magic result.

They are such a relaxing knit to me. The needles are huge...well, I think anything over 5.5mm is huge. And because they are so big I tend to knit slower than on the smaller sock sizes I prefer. And when I'm knitting with mohair-type yarns, there is a certain catchy fluff factor that slows me down, too. So, I just take my time, don't fret and it's like walking a long distance. You get into the swing of it and when you get to your destination in a couple of hours. Then guess what? You want to do it all over again.

I read in one of the descriptions that this was a variation on the 'potato chip' scarf. I thought at first that it was because the ruffles resemble Pringles chips as they emerge from the can. But it could also mean that you can't stop at one. I've made four already and I'm sure I'll make more. There's lots of yarn and I think they'll sell well at the seniors' shop.

So, whenever I feel stressed, I'll just get out the big bamboo needles and knit up some ruffles. Stress and stash busting...that's just about perfect!

The bear, for anyone interested, is one of several Bluenose Bears that I made about fifteen years ago. I bought men's jackets at the thrift store and used vintage buttons. This is the Harris tweed bear that I made for my Dad. From the time I was old enough to register what my Dad wore when he dressed up, I remember the Harris tweed jacket. They were all Bluenose bears to honor my birth province of Nova Scotia. Most were sold or given away - there are three left at home. They're staying put.

Front porch chattin'

2011-11-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

It's time to visit Patrice at the farmhouse and I'm looking forward to a nice hot cup of tea at the end of the road today.

It's definitely getting to be fall-ish here and quite cold. Hat and mitts kind of cold. The nice thing about being a knitter is that there is no end of choice in the woollies drawer. I'll be fine. And, with fingerless mitts, I can knit and talk, too. Let's see who's here and what they're all talking about today.

Alison asks: What's the biggest obstacle you've overcome or need to? My shyness. I have managed to overcome it mostly by getting out and pretending I'm not. Inside I'm cringing but no one, I hope, knows it. I think my mother was quite shy and she had me reciting poems at school concerts...I think this was my only talent when I was 7. I've gone from there to teaching, to chairing meetings and making speeches. Now, when I'm handed the microphone, I might turn beet red but I'm very comfortable, really. I just wish everyone wasn't looking at me!

Patrice asks: When do you start decorating for Christmas? Not until the last day of school. It was just way easier on the kids - and me - if they didn't have the excitement of Christmas too soon. But that may be me, too. I am not a fan of beginning Christmas season as soon as the Hallowe'en pumpkins are off the store shelves.

Julia asks: If you won $100,000 what changes would you make? I don't think I would make any changes at all. I'm very happy with my life the way it is. So, I would definitely share it with my kids. When you're young there are so many expenses.

Patrice asks: What's your favorite type of magazine to read? That's easy. Knitting magazines, of course.

McGuffy Ann asks: What's the most unusual pet you've had? I don't think I've ever had a really unusual pet. My younger brother had a pet chicken for years. She was a reject from the hatchery and he and a friend saved her when she was a chick. I can't remember how long we had her - years - and she laid an egg most days. Our family has always had cats around and the occasional dog. This is the first time in my life to be without a cat, actually.

It's been nice to take a break and visit. Did I mention that Patrice had some chocolates for us today? Of course, they're the very best kind - virtual - and exactly what we want on a cold day. If you want to join in the chat, just hop over here and sign in.

The day after

2011-11-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Now that it's all over for another year, I can share some musings on Hallowe'en .

The other day I was reading about how parents learn to let go - a little - when their kids want to trick-or-treat by themselves. It was an interesting article until I got to the part which stated that these are kids of 12!

Now, I know "the past is a foreign country" but, really? These kids are wanting to go door to door for candy? I know that anyone who was twelve years old when I was younger (under 12) was a BIG KID. They could do all sorts of cool stuff that I couldn't do. But one of the things that I could do was dress up and go trick-or-treating. It was a little-kid kind of event for us. The only big kids who ever did this were looking for trouble, not treats. And they didn't really dress up, either.

Living in the city is a vastly different experience to being a kid in the country where I grew up. I know that. And, I know that, as I get older, I worry about all sorts of fears that I never even thought of before I was a parent. O,r more recently, a grandparent. My kids are all grown-up but I still can't hear a siren without thinking about where my kids are. Not that I actually have any clue on an hourly basis as I did when they were little - mostly.

But back to Hallowe'en. The concerned parents were advised to make sure the kids had buddies, cell phones and a curfew. And a further admonishment not to eat anything 'til they got home and had a parental review of the takings. I seem to recall hearing and saying this - minus the phone - myself. Just common sense, I think. But apparently what was common is no longer. And the kids aren't learning it for themselves when they are young. The message seems to be delayed years longer than necessary. Or presented with a big fear factor.

So, my brain segue'd to a faraway time when we kids played outside for hours and hours without anyone having any real idea where we were. Sure, we got into some scrapes but it was just part of growing up. I vividly remember when I was nine cycling with my younger brother all of three miles very early one Saturday morning. We were going to suss out our new house. No one knew we were gone and I'm not sure they ever knew. We knew the rules of the road - or we wouldn't have had the bikes! And, yes, there was chilly thrill of heading into the unknown. Three years later, we were both heading off with our bikes loaded with newspapers in the early morning darkness. No adults came with us after once showing us our routes.

Hmmm...I'm digressing again. I'm not sure why I was shocked at the tight control of kids lives. I know this is true these days - especially in urban areas. Maybe it was just realizing how old the kids in question were. And I wonder if all the safety nets keep kids from actually learning how to protect themselves. Maybe, this is a much bigger thing than Hallowe'en freedom?

There. Glad that's off my mind.

Sunday wonders - X

2011-10-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

X always marks the spot on a treasure map. I would put some of my X's on...

my happy home...and everything that goes with it.

another beautiful grand-daughter (a quick iPhone photo)...gotta capture that smile!

the memory of how the sun reflected through the hole in this cave in Monument Valley...this was a huge rock formation and we could hear voices of people talking in the cave as though they were beside us.

the beauty of where I live - even in the fall and winter when it rains and the leaves fall.

the most welcome cup of tea ever...enjoyed at a little table right on the pavement by a busy Dublin street. I was so overwhelmed with all the things I'd seen, hot and getting just a teensy bit cranky.

and my Dad's primroses that are some of the first bloomers of spring.

A very few of my treasures -my map is covered in X's.

Saturday Stash

2011-10-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday - again! Can't quite believe that it's here already. What have I got off the needles this week?

Little things...like this pretty cabled hat. I thought the original pattern looked kind of plain so I put a tassel on it.

Of course, there's really plain - no pattern at all but just the right amount of this emerald green yarn.

A pattern that needed to be made a little smaller. Not because of yarn running out, though. No, it was the needle issue. I didn't have a circular OR double points that were really big enough. So, on with the show. I just used what I had and got a smaller hat...baby size!

I had a tiny scrap of the orange left so, I thought a cute little pumpkin would do. There wasn't enough for the original pattern so I just made it smaller...less than 2 inches high! I was taking photos on the front step (only dry place with light yesterday) when the postman caught me and my little pumpkin. And the hats all lined up on the steps, too. There was one more hat but I forgot to take a photo before I shipped it off to the shop. Dumb, huh? I may be able to sneak in with my camera this week. I'll take pictures anywhere.

And, yay! I finished my Walkin' the Line socks. Now to get the pattern written up and on Ravelry. They'll be delivered to Maria this morning. I don't get to keep them...that was just for the photo op.

The really good news is that all those hats in the last couple of weeks has made a serious drop in the tide line of my stash. They were all bulky yarns and took up space. It looked a lot better until I frogged a red pullover that doesn't fit me anymore. I have ideas for a replacement, but not quite yet.

Needles ready? The next week has begun!

Last roses

2011-10-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

The other day I looked out the kitchen window and I saw a red, red rose bravely blooming in the fall rain.

It was among some bracken and reminded me of a rose for the groom's buttonhole.

When I got closer, I could see that it was a little raggedy from the cold and wet. A pretty bright memory of summer.

These roses hadn't fared as well but I think they look lovely in their youthful old age.

I like how the sun and shadow play on the faded colors and tattered petals.

Fiber

2011-10-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

Oh, I love fiber. Yarn, fleece, fabric and wool for hooking rugs. I love the feel of it...just having a pat of an exotic fiber is a treat. And I love the taste, too.

Yes, I like to eat fiber. Not the ones above but all kinds of high-fiber foods. I credit them with enabling me to shrink from a 2X to a size 12 in a year. I credit them with lowering my blood pressure. I just feel a whole lot better with fruit, veg, nuts and seedy stuff.

My favorite way to start the day is with a bowl of All-Bran. Yes, I do love the taste and the chewiness. I add flax-seed, sliced almonds, a generous shake of cinnamon (mmm....cinnamon) and fresh fruit. Right now the Bartlett pears are just perfect. Or maybe some raisins if I'm too lazy to cut up the fruit. Occasionally pumpkin seeds if I have them. But right now I have a bone to pick with Kellogg's.

Maybe several bones. One: why don't they make economy sizes of this product? You can buy anything else in warehouse-sized boxes. So, why not? Two: what's with the stupid inner bag that I can't ever open without tearing it and leaving ragged edges which don't pour well? I have opened a lot of bags of cereal in my life and this product is consistent. It's impossible. And, three: why do we have to have almost 4 times the amount of salt added here in Canada? Trust me, it doesn't help with the taste. In fact, it would be better on all counts if it weren't there at all. But maybe some is needed for preservation or something. But if the US product can manage with .65g per 100g - why do we have to have 2.15g? Just sayin'.

That's my rant. I know I can get jumbo-sized boxes of the buds and flakes but I don't like them. So there. I could probably store my cereal in some plastic container so it was easy to pour but why should I have to do that? And, salty as it is, I still love the fiber. I guess I'm one of those captive consumers.

Front porch chattin'

2011-10-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

It's the day for avsiit with Patrice and her friends on the front porch. Sure hope it's not raining at her house. I don't have a nice front porch where I can hear and see the rain but not get wet. A porch would be just the thing. I'm sitting in my favorite chair on her porch, my knitting in hand, and I'm ready for today's questions. Here they come...

1. Barbie asks: What's your favorite coffee drink? I only drink tea. Over ten years ago, I tried to drink my morning coffee and it tasted like mud. The same kind of coffee I'd always had. So, I switched to tea and I've been here ever since. When I was drinking coffee, my favorite was a cappuccino - with cinnamon.

2. Dreaming asks: What's the chore you hate the most that you wish Blogger would come do? Clean my bathroom. I'm actually quite fussy about a clean bathroom yet I hate doing it. You can see this as a recipe for disaster. So, if blogger wants to come do this, I'm up for it.

3. Farm Girl asks: Why did you decide to start a blog? I think the real answer is: because I could. I actually had something going back in 2007, but apparently blogger doesn't think it worthy because I can't find it anymore. So my posts start a year later - in a pretty tentative way. I have always just shared what I'm doing: knitting, hooking, garden stuff , family...whatever. Still writing about it, too. I have met some really great people and I know that in my small way, I have contributed to a few bloggers success.

4. Suzanne asks: Who's your most famous relative? I can't think of any famous relatives.

5. Cathy Kennedy asks: Have you ever given yourself a home perm? Oh, no, never. I have naturally curly hair. I have ironed my hair to be straight, though. So, I guess that's kind of the same thing. Ironing doesn't last as long as a perm, though, and I never thought if it in the same way until just now.

Come join us on the porch at Everyday Rurality. Every week there's new folks to meet. Thanks for hosting, Patrice.

Hooking rugs

2011-10-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because it's a bit chillier in the mornings. Or maybe it's because I keep expecting to see frost instead of dew in the morning. I'm thinking about hooked rugs.

Some new followers may have been wondering why I have Hookin' in my blog title. Well, there was a time when I hooked rugs as much as I knit. Not so much now. In fact I haven't hooked anything for a couple of years. At least. And I don't really want to think too hard about it. I know that my couple of years is probably more like five!

But sometimes, I get a little jump start. And the giveaway from Courtney at Sassafras and Winterberry got me to thinking I'd like to make some wool strips and get that hook working. Check out what she's offering: hand-dyed wool and yarn - right up my street.

I have a rug already drawn and waiting for the 'GO'. I've been concentrating on the knitting but I could just as easily hook, couldn't I? When I look in the cupboards with drawers full of lovely wool to hook up, my fingers itch. But then they itch when they see beautiful quilt designs or lovely sewing patterns, too. Itchy fingers don't get the job done, apparently.

My excuse has been that my volunteer commitments have taken my time. And that's true. It's been easier - and more relaxing - to get at the knitting. I am hoping that one of my bigger commitments will end this spring. Maybe I should get in a bit of practice for then. Or clear some more stash to make room :)
Hope I win the giveaway...

Sunday wonders - W

2011-10-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

W is for Wish.

Have you ever wished on a star?

Or made a wish as you blew out the candle(s) on your birthday cake?

Only for kids, you say? I don't believe it. I still make wishes - and I believe they will come true. Mostly they do...so maybe I make very realistic wishes? I think of the wish...and then I think: how silly. And then, I think: well, could happen. You just never know, do you?

My mother always told me that if I stopped believing - in Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, whatever...then the magic would cease. I took that to mean the goodies wouldn't be there any more. I'm sure her real intent was to keep me from disillusioning the younger kids, but it has had a life-long effect on me. I'm still making wishes!

Saturday Stash

2011-10-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Really late getting here this morning because I was trying to finish up one of the baby hats. I hope you didn't mind waiting.

I found some chunky yarn in the chest and decided that baby hats would be a quick project to use it up. And they are always good sellers at the seniors craft corner. The purple one is a pattern called Chunky Dean Street. Very easy. The dark pink one is kind of a riff on the same pattern. I just changed it up to make it more fun to knit. I'm not too happy making the exact same pattern again - not even once more.

And I have finished up the leftover pumpkin-colored wool lurking in my stash. I think these are perfect for Hallowe'en. It gets cold taking those trick-or-treaters around the houses.

And these are such cute little owls easily made by manipulating 2-stitch cables! The pattern is called Owlings...the beads are optional but I thought they added to Hallowe'en theme.

I used a bit more of the pink to make this cute, very warm and a fun, easy knit. It stays on your head so snugly. With the mohair blend yarn it is very cozy and soft. This is Grantham - perfect for the inner aviator.

And, last, a scarf in the same pumpkin wool. Guaranteed to keep someone's neck really warm in the winter winds. This is one of those scarf patterns that looks pretty good on the reverse, too. I used the ScWiNoNa pattern. As you might be able to tell, I liked the pattern enough to repeat it in the pink baby hat. It is VERY easy to memorize and adapt to almost anything. Think I'll try in socks one of these days. I love bias designs.

That's it for this week. I haven't crossed of a lot of inventory but I've added to the lot that is going to the craft corner for sale. Nor is that stash pile getting much smaller. I think I'll have to work on a biggish project to do that. Hmm...what could I knit next?

Hello!

2011-10-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

Who's this?

I opened the front door - and there she was!

Apparently, she followed Anne home from the thrift shop and decided to settle down in the front garden. Her beautiful purple wings flutter in the breeze and her head nods.

I love these kinds of surprises...I went around with a big grin all day. She's still there, bringing that grin back whenever I see her.

Front porch chattin'

2011-10-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Got my knitting? Check. A carrot for Wendell? Check. I'm ready to head off to Patrice's front porch to chat with her company today. Wonder what we're talking about today? Let's have a look...

1. What kind of camera do you use? I take all my photos with a Fuji S2000HD. It has a fabulous macro lens - I'm all about those super close-ups.

2. What will you have for Thanksgiving dinner? If not in the US, tell us about a special meal, please. Since Thanksgiving has come and gone here, I will share a fabulous dinner that I had in the restaurant at Mesa Verde resort. Pork medallions dusted with cinnamon and chili powder, grilled portabello mushroom, red chili polenta and a chipotle cream sauce. THAT was delicious!

3. What's the biggest vehicle you've driven? A 15-seat school bus. Pretty easy when the seats are empty.

4. Have you ever been on a train? This can be a commuter train or the chugga-chugga-choo-choo kind.:) I have been on all of those kinds of trains. One of my 'bucket list' entries was to take a train across Canada...specifically to see the Prairies. I learned a lot on that trip - mostly that all train travel on the Prairies seems to be done at night! We also took trains exclusively while travelling in Ireland.

5. What question would you like to ask the people visiting on my porch next week? What is your favorite addition to peanut butter in a sandwich?

If you want to visit too, just come on over to Everyday Rurality...right here.

Carry-on

2011-10-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

How do you pack for a trip by air?

Waiting for a train in Cobh, Ireland

I have always tried to pack as small as possible since I hate to wait for the baggage to get from the plane to the carousel. So, carry-on luggage is the goal. Not always possible, though, so the big cases have to get pressed into service.

This last time, however, we felt that the message from the airlines is that carry-on luggage is preferred. And darn little of that. We would have to pay a surcharge for each checked bag - AND wait at a carousel. Double dose of annoyance factor. So, being thrifty people we managed two weeks with carry-on luggage. Fortunately, we went to a warm place with no heavy clothes required. Shorts and T-shirts don't take up much space. My hiking boots, however, took up a LOT of space.

Anyway, this is what I was actually wondering: if everyone thinks the way we do , there will be a lot of empty space in the baggage hold(?), area (?). How will the airlines use this space? Will they solicit commercial cargo to supplement their revenue from each flight? More ~~frightening~~ important is: what are the consequences of having empty baggage whatevers? Does it create an imbalance? How important is that?

Oh, my faith in flying is being severely tested with these thoughts. Must put them out of my mind.

Fruit Cocktail

2011-10-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

The other night, I was watching a cooking show on TV. No, that's not the news. I am hopelessly addicted to cooking shows. Not that I especially like to cook but I love to watch the various chefs' techniques. I have learned tons of interesting things from these shows. Not all in the cooking category, either.

So what's that got to do with fruit cocktail, you say? OK, here's the point: one of the chefs said that fruit cocktail was "disgusting". Now, I get that this is not a very chef-ish ingredient. But, disgusting? No way.

Fruit cocktail was a special treat when I was a child. There were pieces of peaches, pears, pineapples and green grapes. If I was really lucky, I might get half a cherry. Yes, nowadays, I can look at this canned concoction and say that the fruit was often mushy. But then? It was exotic to have pineapple at all. It was a thrill to have all the fruits in one bowl - in the winter. And I was, and still am, crazy about maraschino cherries. Even those pale, soggy half-pieces. The grapes I have to admit didn't tickle my youthful taste buds. I used to tell myself that they were gooseberries. I'd only ever seen a picture of that fruit and I imagined that this was it. It certainly wasn't a grape!

But, far from being disgusted, I looked forward to a treat dessert of fruit cocktail - and maybe some ice cream that I could swirl into the juice. See, even as a child, I was using ingredients my own way. Not sure the chefs did anything more creative with this ingredient.

Sunday Wonders - V

2011-10-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

V is for Vessels. The ones that float on water - not the ones that hold it. That's a whole different post.

Living in a city on the ocean, it's pretty hard not to see vessels - of all kinds. People just get in their boats and go for a (what would you call it?) the way motorists go for a Sunday drive.

In fact, when I was looking for photos to illustrate, I realized that one walk had produced all the vessels one could wish for. There were huge cruise ships getting provisioned to sail to Alaska...

And rowers out practicing among the fishing boats and other marine traffic...

Float planes, inflatables and a paddle-wheeler...

and a tugboat all work and play on this busy waterfront.

On a summer day. you can find smaller vessels on a river just waiting to take you on a scenic paddle.

Or, if pirates are your thing. Check out the movie ship that's brought some pirates to town.

And, if you live here on the West Coast, you become way too familiar with our ferries. I've done an awful lot of knitting on board a few of these big ones. Of course, there's nothing quite like the ocean wind in your face while enjoying a brisk walk around the deck.

No walking on the deck of one these little cuties. I love how they bob around in our inner harbors and as vessels go, they are definitely on the humbler side. All of these vessels are vital to our economy and I have enormous respect for all those who spend their lives on the water. Nice to have all this in my front yard - sort of.

Saturday Stash

2011-10-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that as Saturday gets closer, I start to knit faster. I really want to have something to show in this stash reduction project. So, not too many things because I was madly working on this:

I call it Wildberry Mousse and I used Deborah Newton's pattern, Buttercream Jacket. Mine turned out not as jacket-ish so I can wear it for a pick-up sweater anytime. My yarn, which is an acrylic/mohair blend is very light. It was hard to find buttons which wouldn't be too heavy for the fabric. I do like all the crunchy textures which aren't lost in the mohair halo. The shawl collar was a bit fiddly but not hard at all and turned out well, I think. Probably, it'll mostly be worn unbuttoned.

I bought the yarn at a garage sale a few years ago. I made a cardi for oldest gd, Becky, just after I bought it. Being made of this indestructible and quite washable yarn, I'm sure will last through all the other girls, too. I must have had around 20 balls - I'm down to eight and a half now. I dreamed that I would use it all up. There's a whole other sweater in the stash still.

And, last weekend, when I was ~~enduring~~ enjoying all the ferry travel back and forth to Vancouver Island, I took along a sock to knit. What else? I found this fun striped yarn in the stash chest and cast on. This is another made-up pattern to make those stripes not so, um, stripe-y. I call it 'Walking the Line' because it reminded me of walking along railroad tracks. It's a very simple lace and slip-stitch pattern. I'll be writing it up for ravelry later this month. I think it gives some extra dimension to those plain rings of color which will be so happy-making to wear on a gloomy winter day. Not sure why I can't stop buying the striped yarn...maybe I just do it to challenge myself to make them different?

Today, I'm going to experiment with felting swatches to make a few more pairs of those clog slippers. Since some wool yarns felt better than others, I have to try them out in the hot water first. I might even try the pink mohair. Can't hurt - and it might work. Stay tuned.

Memories

2011-10-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Many people from my generation have boxes of slides in the attic, the basement, the storage unit. And no one wants to get out the slide projector and screen - assuming they are still around and haven't been flogged at a garage sale long ago.

Slides were a little like the digital camera - a little. Since processing was included it was cheaper than printing the photos. With digital, we can snap and delete as much as we want in the effort to get the perfect photo. Print film made us much less trigger-happy. But, with slides, there was a little more leeway. In any event, over the years the slide boxes multiplied. Then we all moved on to digital and left the slides to gather dust.

I don't know anyone who doesn't like to look at old photo albums. A few of the slides were printed at the time so there was something to put in the album but there were more that have been forgotten. And, now, our family slides are being scanned and stored in a more accessible form. This is a huge project, takes lots of patience and my ex is doing it all. Of course, he also took most of the photos.

The other day I was searching for Thanksgiving pics and came across this one. Love it. It says so much to me. Some day, historians will look at these kinds of photos and wonder at the fashion sense of the 70's. Really. Have you ever seen anything uglier? My daughter is too young to notice then...I'm sure she's averting her eyes now LOL This dress was strictly for home- it never saw the outdoors. Does that help at all?

What else do I see? Well, clearly, I have inherited my mother's (this was taken at my parents') ability to use every horizontal surface for not-so-temporary storage. It's pretty obvious that my daughter is trying to escape eating that horrible-looking glop in the jar. And, if you can mentally crop out the background, her dad did a lovely job of composing this photo. I'm glad of the background, though, for the depth of information it holds.

I'm enjoying looking at the digital photo album that he's creating. Ah, memories.

Front porch chattin'

2011-10-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

I'm sure glad we get to head on over to Patrice's front porch this morning. Here, it's raining and looks like fall. But the view from her porch is always sunny. I'm bringing a few carrots for Wendell...he specifically requested a donation today.

Today's conversation starters get right to the heart of things in a hurry...are you ready?

1. Did you have a way to earn money as a child or teen? As a child I was captive to the chores for a weekly allowance cycle. When I was around twelve, my brother and I shared a morning paper route. It was hard sometimes to get up and schlep those papers around in the rain. And not a little spooky sometimes out on the dark, lonely roads. I think we did this for a couple of years. In high school, I worked at a diner: cooking and serving.   I also worked in the blueberry fields: picking and sorting but that was just in the summer during high school.

2. Does your body run hot or cold? (Are you in a sweater/jumper when everyone else is in short sleeves or do you wear a sweatshirt when everyone has on parkas?) Well, I would say no. But all the kids say that they need long underwear when they come to visit. Apparently, it's like a trip to the high Arctic. Of course, being a knitter, I believe in sweaters. Being thrifty, I also believe in turning down the thermostat. I admit to feeling the cold more as I get older.

3. What's your level of computer savvy? There's a level to be achieved? Oh, don't tell me that...I'm so competitive. I can do what I need to do on my computer. That's where I'm at. Remember, I am the Luddite who scorned the iPhone. 'Nuf said.

4. When you have pasta, do you prefer a red sauce (marinara type) or a white sauce (fettuccine type)? Red sauce. My very favorite pasta sauce is a white wine clam sauce - no cream. I'm not a big fan of creamy anything.

5. What's your favorite thing to put in brownies? I like my brownies plain. I have a recipe that makes a really fudgy brownie. I don't think additions are necessary. But that's pretty selfish since I'm not making (or eating) brownies much any more. So, if others want the nuts, I'm happy to throw 'em in the batter.

So, come on over and visit for a while.   Just point yourself towards Everyday Rurality. Did I mention that there's chai tea on the menu today? And, of course, you must meet Wendell - he's the nicest horse.

Times change

2011-10-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

And yet they remain somehow the same. Yesterday was the annual gathering for Thanksgiving at my brother's home.
I found myself a backseat passenger with my BIL in a car driven by my younger son I vividly remember practicing his driving techniques with him - not that long ago. Given the instructions we were throwing over to the front seat, I'm sure he would say that we were back-seat drivers not passengers. We were heading oft to this party that has been going on for many years now. It's always different each year as new people come into the family and loved ones pass from our lives.

Grampa and first generation of kids

On the way home, we reflected on our status as passengers and how the wheel has turned. It doesn't seem all that long ago that our kids were kids and they needed to be driven everywhere. And the Thanksgiving celebration evolved too, over those years, from a houseful of boisterous kids and teenagers to a kind of sedate adult-ish group.

Becky gets the party started

The arrival of grandkids changed everything and now there are five youngsters in the next generation. Yesterday was an afternoon of happy noise: people laughing, talking, crying, running, cooking and finally eating some yummy food. Much, much too busy to take any photos. I couldn't juggle a camera and cuddle the newest baby, too. Guess no one else could either.

Sunday Wonders -U

2011-10-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

U is for Up.

Some times, you have to climb up in order to get out. No way around this ladder...just do it. Once we had climbed down and around the cliff face to get into the cliff house site, we did have to get out again. We were warned and a few people did drop out at that point. I was happy that the ladders were one way - UP!

It helps to be up in a tree if you want to sit in the sun safely. This might work better for rock squirrels than it does for humans.

The ancient family who lived in Canyon de Chelly might have noticed the squirrels sitting in their tree. They built their houses up on this rock shelf to be safe from animals, floods and., perhaps, enemies.

Just a long shot to show how far up some people were prepared to go to find security. And my way of sneaking in a few more travel pics.

Saturday Stash

2011-10-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

Oh, dear. Another slow week for knitting.

I've been concentrating on finishing a couple of projects. The weather is perfect for cardis so I wanted to get the pink one finished. Big projects take a little more time...duh!

The felted clogs were a snap to make. I would, however, recommend that the length of the circular needle be strictly observed. Mine was a little too long. It did work but wasn't always a comfortable fit. This is how the clogs looked before the felting. Such ugly ducklings.

And this is how they look now. Beautiful swans all ready for toasty feet. This yarn felted up really quickly. It's very creepy putting on the wet slipper, though. A nasty job but it had to be done to get the slippers shaped just perfectly. I've never had such made-for-me footwear before. Then the wet felt takes FOREVER to dry. I was getting impatient so I put the oven on low and baked them. The days have been cool but not cool enough to start the furnace to get some hot air.
Wearing them now :)

Down the road

2011-10-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, oh dear! I feel like the White Rabbit...I seem to be a day late. Hope everyone is still there chatting on the front porch. Maybe they went inside when it got dark.

In any case, I have finally arrived and I see that Patrice has some great questions for this week:

1. Are you afraid of heights or small places? Not of small spaces. I'm actually more comfortable working in small - usually cluttered - spaces. And I'm not exactly afraid of heights. I'm just not sure that I won't fling myself off. I don't always feel confident that the railing will be solid. Stuff like that. Discomfort more than fear 'cuz I still look over cliff edges. Not too sure about living on a very high floor in an apartment building, though. I'm used to having my bed close to the ground.

2. What was on top of your wedding cake? (If you're not married- What was on top of your favorite birthday cake?) I honestly don't remember. But someone else talked about fresh flowers and that made me think that there were some kind of flowers on it. Not fresh - probably icing. The colors were shades of yellow so that would have been on the cake too, I think.

3. What was something you took for granted in school that you'd pay better attention to now if you could do it over? That's a tough one. I actually was a pretty earnest student and paid attention to most things. Maybe just the dedication of most of my teachers. I didn't really appreciate some of them at all. Looking back, I can see that they did deserve much more respect than I gave them at the time.

4. What's your favorite type of tea or coffee? (ie: Chai tea, green tea, English Breakfast tea) I haven't drunk coffee for over ten years. It's always tea - lots of it. I prefer an English Breakfast-type tea. I like it fairly strong and I'm not too snobby. I don't care for the perfume-y teas. And I haven't got the energy - or inclination - to spend a lot of time being a connoiseur.

5. Would you rather drive the car, or be a passenger? Drive, drive, drive. I love to drive - anyone, anywhere, anytime. Being a passenger is very difficult. I get car-sick and being in the driver's seat makes that go away. But the truth is, I just enjoy it. One of the best jobs I had was driving a bus full of kids to and from school.

Yes, I'm really driving!

If you'd like to join in the conversation, come visit with us at Everday Rurality. I don't think it matters if we're a tiny bit late. I'm off now to hear (well, see) what everyone else is saying.

Big Fun

2011-10-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

Not the usual thing for a Monday evening. Last night we were treated to a night out on our town. First we went to dinner at the Beachside Forno. Now that was a great dinner. I had mussels which I haven't had in a couple of years. And we all shared a flatbread starter with duck confit, pears and caramellized onions. Yum!

A friend had a couple of extra tickets for a musical called "Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story" and invited us. It's been around a while - this was the production we saw. So good. The energy was exhausting, the music as fresh and infectious as it was when I was 12. You can see and hear the music on the videos on the link.

Most of the audience was a old enough to remember when this music was new. Hearing it, seeing it, we were all back there in the invulnerability of youth. Throwing over the established music of the day and rocking it out.

One of the memories that came back was when the Big Bopper character came out crooning some lines from 'Running Bear' which he'd written for Johnny Preston. This was the first 'radio' song that wasn't what my dad listened to that I remember hearing. Over the airwaves on my little crystal radio all the way from San Francisco - hundreds of miles away - I was hooked! Always late at night with the sound down low, the signal would be strong for minutes and then fade...then come back. This was my musical world for months until I discovered that there stations like this much closer to home.

Another memory is, of course, the sadness when all that talent was lost in a plane crash. Like many landmark events in our lives, this remains in my mind. I can still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news: standing in my front yard with some friends. I can't remember who told us or how they found out but I still see the 'moment' and feel the shock. As tragic as it was then, maybe it's all the sweeter now for being so short-lived.

Last night was a night for fun - and remembering!

Speaking of towels

2011-10-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

Just to be perfectly clear...I like clean sheets, too! In fact, that's one of the perks of hotel living. All that cleanliness.

There's a funny thing going on with towels, though. Have you seen these notices in hotel rooms? I always try to comply and leave my towel on a rack for a second day's use.
But, after the clean team has been and gone, lo! a fresh set of towels piled fluffily in the bathroom.

So, how come? The only time I have seen this request actually honored is on cruise ships. I guess their commitment to water conservation is necessarily more stringent.

In my heart, I'm glad to have the fresh towel. But, my head knows it's just wrong.

Sunday Wonders - T

2011-10-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

T is for Travel.
I'm not a very good traveller - does that make me like a fine wine? After the latest excursion, I realize that I like the places I get to but I hate the process of getting there. Which is kind of funny because in most of life's offerings I'm a process person. The journey is the fun part. But for travel I've always wanted a time-travel booth so I could be THERE instantly and back home just as fast.

Our tour bus wasn't this rugged but there moments when I was afraid we'd have to call this big guy to haul us out of a flooded wash.

There are delicate moments of rare beauty to be found...

And some quite prickly situations to be sorted through.

A familiar cheeky screech of welcome from the Western scrub jay. We took greetings home to his cousins - our own Stellar's jay who is just as eager to devour peanuts.

The land is alien, sometimes, stark and harsh with burned trees jutting up from the desert. But look at the flowers!

There are times when nothing seems to be happening. This is actually one of the most action-packed photo sequences yet every one of the five pics looks much the same. One of our group spotted a covey of scaled quail which speedily sought cover after crossing the road. We stalked and stalked. I saw them and gave chase but could never capture the critters. Odd how the absence of the subject in a photo can bring back the best memories. That was a really fun few minutes.

And then there are those hokey moments when you know that every person with a camera has this shot forever. At John Ford point in Monument Valley, this horse and rider amble out to provide photo opportunities on a regular schedule. So many cowboy and western films were shot on location here.

The unexpected popped up constantly. Here a lizard greets us as we slide out of the bus and head to the picnic table. The sun is lovely for lizards and I enjoyed it too after the weird summer we'd had. I could have just laid down on the stonel like a lizard and basked. A diet of flies is not my style though.

So, while the getting there is a pain, I enjoyed being there. It was a breath-taking experience. I do confess to one travel pleasure and that is hotel living. I wouldn't want to do it forever but it's so nice to walk into a clean and tidy space that is all yours. And I take guilty delight in having clean towels every day.
I am, however, happy to be home even without the clean towels.

Saturday Stash

2011-10-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

This post is late because I was madly finishing the Subtle Parisienne beret. I had to have something to show for the past two weeks.

So, she is finished but not blocked. I love the way it turned out but I'm hoping that it blocks into a better size. Right now it's not quite a grown-up size. As you know, Nefertiti is slightly less than life-size. I would like to try the pattern again...it's very easy. Maybe with a slightly larger needle size - although I did have gauge.

I have also finished the White Lightning socks. And, once again, the small pout. I took both these projects with me on our trip. But I didn't bring the first sock. So, my ribbing is slightly shorter on number two because I thought I'd finished that part before I packed it away. Sort of a natural stopping place, I thought. But I over-estimated my cleverness. So, not totally happy with these. I hope the recipient is forgiving.

The weather has turned cooler - had to put the furnace on yesterday! Now is the time to get out that felted clog pattern that I've been wanting to make for at least two years. I do have to find it...my daughter has sent it to me twice. I think I did something very sensible with it the last time so I'd not lose it again. But I fear for my ability to be clever.

Back to the needles. I have so much still to finish.

First encounter

2011-09-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

I finally met my newest grand-daughter, Gabriella.

And I have the Grammy photos to prove it.

That first cuddle with a new grandbaby is always a thrill. Of course, Gabby seems pretty unexcited about the whole thing...

Until she opens her eyes and, then: "Whoa! this isn't Mom!"

She'll never be this little again.

Visiting on the porch

2011-09-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

I've missed a couple of chats and I've been looking forward to getting together again. All (well, most) of my chores are done and I can stroll over and sit a while. Patrice has a few new questions to ask, so here goes.

Would you rather cook or clean house? Definitely cook. And that's not my favorite job, so you can see how much I hate to clean house. Both were necessary evils of raising a family. Luckily, nowadays, the cooking is less constantly required and the housework isn't as huge, either.
Who do you resemble in your family? Oh, I look like my Dad. But I have the blue eyes of my mother's family. I also resemble my sister. When my younger son was a baby, he would get a very puzzled look on his face whenever she spoke. Our voices were almost exactly the same. But hey! Mommy's over there- who's talking?
Have you tried e-books yet? No. Not sure that I ever will. I like having a book in my hands. I get the convenience when travelling but that's the only time I would even consider using it. And, this last trip was so action-packed that I only managed to read one book the whole time. And it was a skinny one!
Do you collect anything? Oh, I collect yarn LOL I''ve made a pledge to not collect any until the new year and then I'll try to be more selective. No guarantees on that. I have a pretty big Santa collection that I like to put out at Christmas. It's a 'closed' collection now and not growing.
What's your favorite fall tradition? The only fall tradition I have is getting out the winter rain jacket. And you couldn't call that a favorite. Fall isn't my best season and I seem to have jumped right into fall from summer this year so maybe I'm a little wary right now.

It's lovely just sitting here with my knitting and my tea. Thanks for the invitation, Patrice. If you'd like to visit too, just hop over to Everyday Rurality. There's some nice folks visiting today.

Last days of the journey

2011-09-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

OK. The bags are unpacked, the laundry is all done, two weeks' worth of emails read, if not answered, and I've finally gotten around to looking at the photos of our last day on this amazing journey.

Our first stop was the town of Window Rock, the home of the Navajo Nation's government. This nifty rock isn't one of the biggest we've seen but it sure has loomed large in our reading. Some of us were keen to go back and re-enjoy those Tony Hillerman novels now that we had a picture of what the place - and the surrounding area - looked like.

We went on to El Morro (which means 'bluff' or 'headland') and found this one of the most interesting places. There's a great diversity of plant and animal life here. We saw things we'd seen nowhere else and some readers may not enjoy all the photos today. It was a nature tour, though, and we were glad to have found them.

At the end of the path above, there is a big surprise. A deep pool surrounded with bulrushes and home to at least one tiger salamander. This pool is created completely by runoff from rain and snow-melt - there is no spring here.

We met a tarantula wasp who was in the process of hunting down a big woolly caterpillar. It was fascinating to see how it could pick up the stunned animal which was much bigger than itself and drag it off. Sort of of like a log loader, it straddled the caterpillar and held it up while walking. Their name comes from the fact that they hunt tarantulas which are pretty big spiders! That caterpillar is about 2.5 inches long.

The historic significance of this site are the many inscriptions on the rock face. It seems that everyone who passed by added to the writings on the wall. This is a message left by a Spanish explorer in the 1500's. Unlike today's graffiti artists, these writers left their names for us. Many settlers and railway workers also left their mark as they travelled though. It's like a timeline of the waves of people who braved the desert for their various reasons.

The flowers were many and varied. I took lots of flower shots here. This is the scarlet bugler...

And this is what we call Spiderwort (tradescantia) which we planted in our garden at home - intentionally. I was surprised to see it all around our picnic area. A little research tells me that it is a native plant to this area. Lucky folks to have such a pretty bloomer in their landscape.

On our way back along the path, a shout went up ahead that there was a rattlesnake on the trail. Since we weren't too sure exactly where the snake was, we crept gingerly by the open land to our left. But, all the hue and cry had driven poor rattler under a tree. He was frightened and kept warning everyone off with furious rattling. I'd never heard this sound before - it's pretty loud.

The trip is now almost a dream. We travelled with some wonderful and interesting people and learned lots about the history, culture and natural beauties of these deserts and canyons. We have over 1000 photos to edit and I'm sure they will pop up here over the next while.

Smitten!

2011-09-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

I am in love...with Canyon de Chelly (pronounced de-shay). This has to be the best place we've been to yet.

One morning at the beginning of our journey, I heard a young local man say that we had to see Canyon de Chelly. It was the most wonderful place, he said. And with some wonder in his voice, he explained that it 'made you feel so small'.

I can tell you that it does do that. The rocks that we drove under , through and beside were huge. They went straight up from the canyon floor.

It's not all huge rocks, though. Nature, beauty and hard work come together on this Rocky Mountain Bee-balm. I think this might be representative of the people who live and work here.

There is so much variety here. Huge rock formations, desert, green trees and sweet flowers.There are Navajo families living here amid this grandeur, growing corn, squash and beans much as their ancestors had done. They raise horses and cattle under these cliffs.

This is part of the roadway that we drove along. The overhang was very low and our truck was very big. Not the biggest but still pretty big. Private vehicles are not allowed in the canyon. Nor are you allowed to hike or ride horses without a guide. But I think those would be excellent ways to experience this beautiful canyon land.

One of the canyon dwellers: a Western Whiptail lizard. We have seen a lot of lizards this trip - as you would imagine in this climate. This fellow is one of the best.

The solidity of this rock wall soars up and up to that glorious blue sky. It's so hard to capture the colors and sense of proportion. How could any people not be in awe of this?

But maybe this shot will help. We are now standing on the south rim high above where we have been earlier in the day. When I turned the corner on the lookout path, my jaw did really drop. In the center are two enormous spires of rock - Spider Rock. To the left of these two towers, you can see a thin trail which had two vehicles on it which gives you an idea of the scale. What looks like a path down the middle is really an almost dry riverbed. There was rain three or four days ago.

If I had seen nothing else this trip, it would still have been worthwhile. But I did see so much more. With another day to come. Hard to believe that it's almost over.

Painted Desert

2011-09-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

Still recovering today from our trek through the Petrified Forest and then the Painted Desert. I guess I'm a rain forest kind of girl. The desert is so beautiful but, of course, it is also hot and dry. It takes a lot of getting used to.

This was our environment...and I want to share some of the beauty today.

A sage thrasher sits high up in a juniper tree. This is in an oasis where there are some trees.

Grasses grow. This one had such an interesting seed head.

Everywhere you look in the Petrified Forest part of this desert are pieces of what once were ancient trees. And are now transformed into jewels that gleam like rainbows in the sun.

The globe mallow has tiny orange flowers which glow against the sand.

A yucca seed pod waiting for animals or birds to eat the seeds.

The earth is so parched but it makes interesting patterns when it cracks.

There are a lot of ravens in the park and they are protected. With their black plumage they are terribly unsuited to live here and find it very hot. Most of the time the are trying to find any shade they can where they sit with open beaks and pant. Apparently, they usually travel with their mates. We found one lonely one in a parking lot whose mate had died. He hung around for the company and shade - not the food. There was none.

And, I found this quite beautiful, too, although I know most won't. This beetle (around1.5 in) has just died. There are many ants salvaging what they can to survive in this harsh world.

This is called Blue Mesa (colors are so hard to capture in photos here with the bright sun) and those brown logs are actually totally rock now.

Time to renew the lip balm, drink some cool water and find a shady spot.

Grand Canyon

2011-09-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Grand Canyon is truly grand. It's overwhelming in its scope. When I first saw it, I felt a little disappointed and I think that was because it's impossible to take it all in.

There's no way to see it all at once. It's almost alien in its lack of human scale.

Not that there is any lack of humanity. It's a pretty crowded place - and this is almost the off-season.

We walked about 4 km along the rim trail. Everywhere we looked were views.

This house fascinated me. It was the home and studio of photographer brothers. Looks like pretty nice digs, doesn't it?

Now look very closely - just above the trees, right of center. This house is perched right on the edge of the canyon. Wouldn't it be great to have your studio here? With all that color and grandeur around you all the time?

Looking down from a lookout point, we could see the hiking trails which snake everywhere along the canyon floor. Of course, you have to get down there - and back up! You can follow the switchbacks on the side of the canyon. They look kind of like terraces but they are a constant zig-zag of trail. It takes more than one day to hike down and up again.

One more look at this magnificent place and we have to move on.

A complete change of location brings us to Holbrook, Arizona. I leave you with the Wigwam Motel which is listed on the Arizona Historical Register . These are 15 cement tipis built in 1950. You can still rent one for a night or two. The vintage cars are all part of the ambience. All around the lot are old cars in varying stages of restoration and/or decrepitude. The best part is that this motel is on Route 66 - and I walked across it, twice!