Friday, May 15, 2009

Mother's Day Catch-up

No excuses, I just haven't put in my blogging time - mea culpa.

Mother's Day_2009_Lake Murray_-2823

This is a long shot of my Mother's Day Picnic Breakfast. (We're under the big center tree.) This is Lake Murray in La Mesa. (It's really a reservoir, there's little open water here in Southern California.)

Mother's Day_2009_Lake Murray_-2802
This is the view from the opposite direction.

Mother's Day_2009_Lake Murray_-2804
Party Crashers.

Mother's Day_2009_Lake Murray_-2799
And here I am trying to unwrap a roll of paper towels. (Is it just me or are they making plastic indestructible now a days!!)

We had such a good time that we're planning on a Father's Day picnic at another water side location next month. My girls gave me some wonderful presents. The gardener daughter gave me a couple of plants for the front yard remodel. (Due to up coming water rationing we've turned off the lawn sprinklers and are getting ready to take out all the grass. I'll sure miss all that cool green.) She gave me a Tree Mallow, the flowers are 2 inches in diameter.
Lavatera Tree Mallow
and a Leptospermum
Leptospermum Scoparium
both plants have very low water requirements.

The traveling Photographer daughter was in Portland, Oregon last month and surprised me with Shibui Sock yarn from Knit Purl.
Shibui sock yarn

When she first told me she would be in Portland I told her she could go to Knit Purl and buy me this sock yarn, intending to pay her for it; then I forgot about the whole thing. So I really was surprised when I opened her bag. I have great daughters!

Later that afternoon the four of us went and saw Star Trek. I loved it! Even better was I had enough passes and gift certificates that we ended up paying $1 for 4 tickets, two drinks AND popcorn! Not sure which was more fun the movie or buying the tickets for a buck!

Knitting Content: now what do I do?
entrelac fingerless mitts

These are the cuffs for entrelac fingerless mitts out of Silk Garden Sock.

They're huge - I can pull them all the way up to my elbows and they're still loose. I'm using a size 1 needle and don't think that they would be much smaller if I went down to a zero needle. Only way is to rip the whole thing out and rework the pattern to take one of the squares out - not sure that's going to happen. I even tried them on as sock cuffs and they fit around the largest part of my calf but that would be ALOT of entrelac. Just not sure where I'm going from here.

Ink Spot Scarf doesn't look much different. I've been carrying this around with me but I keep making mistakes and take out as much as I knit. I'm afraid this is going to have to stay home and go back to being my early morning project. It's not a complicated pattern but what with it being black I do have to pay attention and count.

I've started sewing the barn-raising squares, getting the 4 corners to come together is fiddly. It'll get there - eventually. I bought a warm semi-sold chocolate by Mama Blue for the crocheted border.

Still working on my milkweed scarf submission; I'm on the second ball of hand-spun. No pictures because it doesn't look like much until it's blocked. I'm worried about stretching my handspun out at blocking - there are a few thing spots.

A Knitty Sweater has been started in Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool. but that's all that I can say for now.

You've heard of Square Foot Gardening? I found planters that are exactly a square foot and the idea just grabbed me. There are three now but I'm headed out today to see if I can find more since the original three are looking so good.
square foot gardening

There is no way I can plant too much flat leaf parsley and cilantro!

And to close here's a photo of a visitor to the front yard. This is taken through the front window, he just sat there and stared - No Fear.
feline visitor

Friday, May 01, 2009

Talk of Quilts, Babies and Flowers

Baby Coins Quilt

My niece is having a baby girl, and as I did for all my nieces and nephew when they were born, I made a quilt. This one is called Baby Coins, the pattern is here. This was a very quick project and best of all, it's made completely from stash. (Yes, I have to admit I have even more quilt fabric stashed than yarn.) I cut slices from fat quarters and used some 6" batik squares, most are just color but there's one little green frog that mostly survived the cutting.

quilt closeup

I got carried away with cutting the rectangles and I have enough to make another quilt; I'm seriously considering making a second on baby speculation. My daughters' friends are just starting to get married so you know there will always be new babies that need a gift.

The Barn-Raising blocks are finished. 36 needed but I'm working on number 40 right now.
Barn Raising Blocks

I'm making a few extra because I'm sure I have some rejects. See any possible rejects in this group? Some really stick out when laid out with the rest of the blocks.
Rejects

Jamie and Linda, two customers from our shop have started collecting hats to send to our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan; Hats from Home. I knit the hat pattern they suggested, it wouldn't even fit on my head. (everyone else gets a normal adult size hat but my gauge must have been off - way off.) So I ripped it out and I'm making a plain 2/2 ribbed hat.
Troop Hat

As you can see my camo isn't pooling it's spiraling. Thank goodness the idea is for warmth rather than style. (Since I always have trouble with sock yarn pooling and flashing I figured this yarn would do the same. Of course, yarn is contrary and this skein is doing the opposite of what I want! I shouldn't have been surprised.)

The cymbidiums are almost done blooming
Cymbidiums 2009

And the Epi's are just starting.
Epi