Home Owner Responsiblities

 Matthew came on Saturday for a visit to the grandparents.  He also got in a game of golf with his Dad but doesn't want to remember that loss but if I only had the camera ready to capture Bill's triumphant smile!
We enjoyed dinner at Mom and Dad's and then some games where Matthew perpetuated his losing title; gratefully, he is a good sport!  Thanks for the visit, son.

 Mom finished her garterlac dishcloth and has another already cast on!  Go , Mom!

 This morning, Dad and Bill had to tackle a search and repair project outside of the bathroom.  They had no exact measurements for the septic tank but  a rod works well for hunting out plumbing in the sand-this would never work in New York!  (We grew rocks there!)

 They looked for clues under the house but ended up just digging and found it within just a few minutes.  Good work , men!

 They found the leak, fixed it with some 'GreatStuff' and the pipe is patched where Bill's shovel connected with the plastic plumbing!  This fix brought great relief to one and all because we had no idea of the septic system in place for this old place but the tank is in order and ready for years and years of duty! Phew!

I have finished the Shetlander mitts!

 This is the 'other' side of the mitts as they are made with two different sides.  As I post this, I can see some mistakes on the right side of the right mitt.............I will use some duplicate stitches to fix this right now!  I have found that most mistakes are conquered not by avoiding mistakes, they happen to everyone, but rather by knowing how to correct them!  If practice makes perfect, I am an expert!

The inside looks neat and orderly and doesn't take any digits captive when slipping it on or off!  It is slow knitting to work this kind of pattern but it was a good exercise.

On to my mystery shawl..........

Garterlac Gals

I had a four friends and my Mom over for knitting this afternoon!  Did I remember to take a group shot of us?  No, I did not!  Sometimes I disappoint myself beyond measure.  I invited them over to teach them how to make the garterlac dishcloth.  All came armed with needles, yarn and courage!

We did have a wonderful time, everyone was very cooperative at the stretching of their knitting muscles!
The added bonus was that my Mom got to  meet my friends and put faces to the names and stories!  It was a perfect afternoon.

 Earlier this week, I finished the second bobbin of superwash wool in the pale pinks.

And then, plied the bobbins.  The skein is so cheerful, 450 yards of sock weight yarn and two little skeins left over that wouldn't fit on the first bobbin no matter how hard I tried!  The pale pink that was left over is just plied to itself and is much lighter than its mates.  I will be knitting this into a pair of socks in the near future.

Bill took this photo of the two sleeping youngsters.  It was storming outside and they took full, feline advantage of the down time.  Awwww!

Well Suited

 The binding is all hand sewn, the quilt it finished!  This was from the men's suit samples that is backed with polar fleece.  It is just so comfortable wrapped around you on these chilly winter days!

 I used a variegated thread in blues for the quilting.  I ususlly throw a newly bound quilt right into the washer and dryer for just the right look but not this one.  I am not sure how the 'dry clean only' fabrics would turn out-the fiber content for most of these samples are fine wool or silk.  I think it will just be used and enjoyed for now!

 I am very excited that the orchid (Phalaenopsis) from Matthew (2years ago for Valentine's Day) which is blooming again!  Not only did it not die, it survived the cats ministrations in the pool area but with the cold temps , I have moved it into my room and it obviously loves the south window this time of year!

 Isn't it just amazingly beautiful?!  There are several more buds which will open soon, they should last for a month or two.

 The first Shetlander mitt is finished, too.  This was a slow knit but very satisfying to see it grow under the needles.  (Slow compared to the simple sock knitting I love!)

This is the same mitt, just the other side!  You can choose how you want to wear them-fun, huh?!  On to the second one!

Top This!

 I quilted this for my neighbor-her first attempt at set in blocks.

 This is hers, too, a table runner with scraps. 

 Mom helped me load my quilt top on the frame. 

 I picked a paisley pantograph for both of our quilts. 

 We moved on to piecing some quilt tops for the QuiltsforKids charity.  I had cut out these pieces from my stash; it is nice to have fabric in a quilt instead of in a pile in the closet!

 I made this one and then had time to piece one more,

... another pink one!  We cut out the backings to match and have them all piled and waiting for this quilter to get going!

On my needles, the Shetlander pattern for fingerless gloves.  It is not a fast knit but it is turning out pretty so it's an okay knit for a change!  (I am on clue three for the mystery shawl-it is slowing down as the shawl grows but it is a good knit!)

Ocean Shore

 We took our Daytona trip today!  It was sunny and warm and just right for a walk on the beach until we got there and the clouds rolled in and the rain fell!  We did take a long drive and enjoyed seeing the waves!

 The birds were very busy but not too many people ventured out!  We filled out list at JoAnns, had a wonderful lunch at IHOP and as always had a perfect time together!

 I wore the new pair of socks to the ocean today!  KnitPicks stroll knits up beautifully!

 I put a new project on the needles today........this will be Shetlander fingerless mitts from the latest issue of Knitty.com . It was supposed to be my knitting project for the car ride today but I didin't realize I needed to print off the chart which wasn't included in the main instructions so I didin't get very far with the knitting on our trip!  I am using some fingering weight yarn from KnitPicks palette collection on #5 needles..

The second clue is done for the the mystery shawl-it is still on a short cable, which I will keep as long as I can so I don't have to pull stitches around a long one!  It measures about 24" across now without stretching.

Bill placed some cedar branches in the pool area for the cats!  They run every time I try to get a pic of them-they think they will get yelled at for climbing it! 

Highlights of the Week

 One sock done, moving right along on the second one.  This is a pattern by Wendy Johnson in her book, Socks from the Toe Up.

 The experiment quilt is off the frame, now I need to find some fabric for binding.  I used no batting for this, just the fleece for the backing.  It is a tactile delight.  I might use some satin for binding to keep with the theme.

 It took no time at all to quilt the little mystery quilt, Diminutive Vessels , that Marsel and I did on New Year's day.   

 I used a variegated thread by YLI and a meander pattern for the quilting.  The binding is finished and I even sewed the label on the back with the pertinent info!

 Mom and I got to thinking that the quilt tops we made on Monday needed a boost.  We added some narrow binding from my stash and used the fabric in the kit for the backing as wide borders instead.  Now it looks like a finished top.  That list for JoAnns just keeps on growing............!

 The cardinals sit in the little palm tree and look like camelia blooms.........we so enjoy the birds!

This shawl has gone from the naughty bucket to the frog pond.  I now have two nice balls of yarn for another shawl.  The count just couldn't line up, match up OR behave so I will use the yarn for a different project!

Let the Games Begin.......

 The guys went right outside to work on yard clean up.  There were several downed branches and some dead trees that needed removing.  Just their kind of work.

 Mom and I set up for a sewing day!  We had a couple of quilt kits that needed conquering.

 This top is mine. (64" x 48")

This one is Mom's.  I will be quilting these as soon as we go to JoAnns and get some batting!  (And as soon as I get going on the one on the frame now and the quilt Marsel and I made on NewYear's....!)

 I dyed this bit of roving from KnitPicks, superwash wool, so I can ply it with the Distaff Day spinnning.

 This is all spun and I am going to try the new roving done in subtle pink tones to ply it with this.  A little different than I usually do which is always ply the same colorway with itself so I am looking forward to how this works together.  I am anticipating the longer color repeats working up nicely for a pair of socks.

A new knitting project is on the needles; this is a mystery pi shawl, clue one completed for the week!

Fiber Club

I have enrolled in a new adventure for this year, TheFiberBinderClub.  Each month I receive a fact sheet for a particular breed of sheep or  fiber which includes the fiber raw, washed and an ounce to spin for sampling.  There are also links for buying additional fiber, if I so desire. 

This is going to be a great way to record info on sheep and learn about the different breeds!  I will look forward to sharing this each month!
(For info or questions, dyedinthewoolbiz@yahoo.com)

Distaff Day

Today is Distaff Day, celebrated as the first day of so I invited two spinning/knitting friends over for fiber company!  We worked on thrummed wrist warmers, socks and spinning, of course!

Here is the superwash roving from yesterday on the bobbin.  Great way to spend a day!

Dad and Mom arrived late this afternoon, they escaped the latest snowstorm of the northeast and enjoyed the mild 60's as they unpacked the van here!  Looking forward to a great winter visit!