Fifty Fridays #40

This Sunday is Father's Day so I will, of course, be featuring my Dad this week.  I thought I would share two things that were his vacation from work and home.  When I was a kid, we never really took vacations away from home.  I was never too concerned because very few of my friends ever did either.  It wasn't as common as it is now.  But now I wonder if there wasn't another reason. 

Every summer my father would disappear for a week.  He took his Air Cadets off to summer camp.  This is a photo of Dad and the other leaders of the squadron posing in front of their barracks at Sea Island.  This is where the Vancouver International Airport is now.  When I was much younger, the name seemed magical.  I never went there and I guess I didn't see this photo of the huts.  Kind of takes the magic away for me.  But not for Dad.  He loved being away with the young fellows (not co-ed then) and sharing his own air force flying experience. 

Dad not only loved the air but also the sea.  Once he moved to his island home, he liked nothing better than to get into his little boat and motor about pretending to fish.  When he retired, the first thing he bought was a sailboat which was a source of constant pleasure for him.  I can't say that I share his enthusiasm.  I believe that I stepped on his boat for a quick recce and then got off as fast as I could.  Not a chip off that old block, I'm not. 

And even in his last days, when he was very ill and not always thinking clearly, the boat was on his mind.  He would dream about sailing and think his hospital bed was his boat.  

So, Dad, here's to you! Hope the wind is blowing fair.


 

Saturday Stash

It's been a technicolor week in the yarn stash.  I have today two shawls that I would rather use as scarves.  Using all this color at once feels a bit like a binge.  I'm full of color; I'm overfull.  Kind of like looking at a garden of tropical flowers in the bright sunshine.  Gorgeous for a while but my temperate mind begins to crave some cool greens and blues. Probably comes from living too long on the west coast.

But that doesn't take away any of the glory in this yarn.  I wondered how all the colors would look in the eyelet lace and they do very nicely.  So this is my After the Storm shawl.  I used Beth Bradford's Sewanee pattern.  It was very easy to knit up. This is some stashed sock yarn.  So is the next...

Another many-hued sock yarn which I used for my lace in the Desert Shawl.   This is Shelly Delong's pattern,  Mairi.  Again, really easy.  The bottom scallops are made first and the body is knit up after you've got your long strip of lace.  And it's all garter stitch  - everywhere.  I love garter stitch because it's so cushy.  It has literally just come off the needles and isn't blocked.  I was nervous about the garter stitch and all these color changes - looks OK though.  I think I'll keep it...it will make a nice warm scarf.

Not that I'm exactly pining for winter.  No, I'm just ready.  Maybe I'll wear it in the 'cold room' at Costco.  It's like walking into a fridge. I know...it is a fridge. But when you're ready for summer fun and don't have your jacket, it's darn cold.   I'm always so happy to get out of there.

Now, I'm going to go digging  for some forest and ocean colors. 

Fifty Fridays #39

It's Friday again!  And today I have an interesting mystery photo to celebrate summer finally bringing us some sunshine.

What's summer without an office picnic?  Well, maybe that's what this is.  I have no idea what - or even who - this is and maybe that's just as well.  Some of these folks seem to having a bit too much fun.  And clearly at least one isn't enjoying the fun at all. Could it be a works outing?  With some having a bit more to their lemonade than others?

And I wonder who these folks are?  Am I related to anyone here?  From their clothes I would say sometime before WW1 but that's as close as I can get.   The picture box has a whole section of these photos that no one can identify.  It is fun to wonder but a bit frustrating, too.  I just enjoy making up a story to go with the evidence of the picture itself. 

Saturday Stash

I may have been down for the count for a while but I never stopped knitting.  I worked away on my projects and managed to finish quite a few.  I'm not really a person who makes To Do lists but I seem to have some inner demon that whispers in my ear.  Not sweet nothings, no.  This demon speaks of UFO's and then reminds me of all the yarn there is in my little hiding places.  Even more seductive is the knowledge that there are so many gorgeous yarns in the shops.  I can't justify buying anything new so I won't even try.  But I sort of can justify a little buy when I've finished a few stash things. 

I used this pattern to make a tiny little apres-ski sweater for a very little person.  I used leftover sock yarns throughout.  You may recognize the yarn from the last pair of kid's socks that I knit.  When I finished the body I realized that I picked up the wrong ball of gray to complete.  So, the sleeves had to get the same half and half treatment.  Looks a little odd but in an OK way, I think. 

This little cardi was finally finished.  After making all sorts of alterations to the pattern, I ran out of steam.  I think my brain power was beginning to dwindle about then.  So, the project sat in a corner and sulked.  I finally picked it up, realized that the sleeves awere all I had left to knit and they were so easy.  So, snap!  All done. 

And this stash-buster is in the 'because I can' category.  I found this baby hat pattern while I was browsing through some magazines.  It's silly but it actually has some cute details.  I love having it sit on the desk and smile it's big fishy smile at me.  I will give it - and all the other stuff - away, though. 

So, now we come to the part where I get a reward.  I was looking for some sock yarn for my daughter and saw this pretty purple yarn.  It's part of the Patons FX series and I've knit them before.  But I must be a sucker for purple.   All the while I was knitting it, I kept thinking of that it should be called Fifty Shades of Grape.  So that's what I named the socks.  I used Ann Budd's Seduction Socks pattern which seemed quite appropriate on all sorts of levels.  I really like how they turned out. 

I still have my red socks to finish.  And I've started two shawls.  I'll save them for next week.  Who knows?  Something may actually get finished this week, too.