St Augustine Spin-In

 Today I went to the annual Spin In with the ST Augustine Textile Guild held in the visitor center.  I went with my friend Elayne and our husbands, both Bills!  We had a wonderful time talking with the hundreds of visitors-this picture was taken near the end of our time when the crowd began to thin out-the rest of the time you couldn't have seen us because of all the people watching and asking questions!  (Elayne to the left of the pic and me in the center, spinning friend and locally famous spinner, Barbara on the right and I am in the middle!

The large open area was filled with clusters of knitters and spinners, what a wonderful group of ladies; we were very glad to be part of their venture today.

I spun a bobbin of Shetland today and used up so many words.......off to the couch and some knitting!

A Drive and some Projects

 The early part of the day brought us to St Augustine for a doctor's appointment then to the beach for a view and ocean air.  Unfortunately, it was a very high tide and the air was full of midges-wow, did we get bit up if we held still for a few seconds!

 The waves were pounding the rocks and there was no part of the sandy beach showing here!

 North of the pier there was some construction going on-they were bringing in tons of sand-very interesting to see what they will be doing here on our next visit.

 A few beachcombers were hugging the beach/rocks south of the pier.

 At home, we had some fun projects;   I painted our birdbath and then painted the center sculpture-it had been all grey and all the details were lost.  As soon as I put it in place, our new cat set up guard-the birds won though, they chased him back out of their acceptable range-about 20 feet away from them!

 I used several layers of spray paint for the right affect on the base and used my Plaid acrylics and sealer on the dolphins.  Water is a scarce commodity here and it is more important to provide the song birds with water than with seed( which we do, too).

 I made a  horizontal stand for my spinning wheel bobbins........this is to hold the full bobbins so I can ply them into the finished yarn.  (The yarn at the bottom puts a slight resistance on the bobbins so you don't get back spin when plying.)
                                     
 I am moving right along on my Philomena Cardigan-it is a wonderful knit.......I got 4" done while listening to a book on my Zen in the waiting room at the doctors.  The good news is that Bill will not need surgery on his feet but will need some orthotics for his arches-whether or not our insurance will foot the bill!  (Sorry, I couldn't resist the double pun!)

I am getting ready to go to the St Augustine Textile Guild's annual Spin-In tomorrow-I found this fold up cart at a yard sale and spiffed it up with some gold spray paint.  Now to fit all my display woollies in it!  See what is in there first, Benita?!  People love to browse through this wonderful resource!

The End of the Visit

 Most of the family has gone back to their homes far away....Bruce and Marsel stayed to finish out the week though!  We puttered, loafed by the pool and did some projects.  I am smocking a dress for Abigail and I am working without the right thread but it is working nonetheless.......

 Thursday, we went to the ocean and met Jessica and her boys-they are on Spring Break so we all took a day off!  It has been a long time since I have savored the beach and it was as wonderful as always.  We are all sun-kissed to prove it!

 Friday, Abigail celebrated her 8th birthday!  I managed to finish her smocked dress just in the nick of time-(an hour before I wrapped it!)

 In the afternoon, she had friends over from our church and enjoyed a swim-something she couldn't have enjoyed in Georgia yet!

I knit up a pair of socks with worsted weight yarn, Cascade 220, to try an idea.  I have seen several versions of the Swiss Cheese scarf and thought it would work for the cuff of these yellow socks!  Well, it did and I am pleased with the fit of these heavier weight socks.  (Blogger has morphed the proportions of the picture-these are a normal size for women-not as short and fat as they appear in this pic!)

Introducing....

my next grandchild; Jared and Krystle's first child is due in August!  What blessings God is granting.

Caleb and Cassandra are Wed!

 I have the honor and privilege to attend my youngest son's wedding this past weekend!

May I present, Caleb and Cassandra Minota!

More pictures to follow, this is all I can process at the moment!

The Last Few Days

 Mom and I took an adventure the other day, we loaded the address in the Garmin for a quilt / fabric shop and away we drove!  Welll, the Garmin was true to its word and got us there but we got worried when we left the paved roads and went to sand roads in the middle of nowhere!!!

                              
 And I do mean nowhere! 

 See the little sign in the front yard-we had arrived at our appointed destination.  They are still working on
converting this trailer into her shop (she lives across the street) but both Mom and I found what we were after so it was worth the drive!  We were pretty glad to get back to paved, familiar roads I will admit!

I finished my little cardigan in just a week!  It still needs its buttons but it is a pattern I will make again with a different colored yarn!  I think a nice light cotton/linen blend will work up just right!

 I have all the triangles sewn together and am working on adding the borders-a narrow one in plain dark brown and a wider one in chocolate batik.

 I bought some new yarn for an old pattern for Abigail-this will be a short sleeved version for her to wear to the wedding.

I have a smocking project in the works.........little dragonflies on checks fabric is from the little quilt shop in Siberia, Florida!!!

Baskets and Beaus

Mom and I each wove a basket  today for our project.  We channeled our long-ago Indian ancestor and thoroughly enjoyed our weaving time.  This was a kit for a pair of stacking baskets but we are each going to keep our own to remember this day!

After a great meal at their house, we played a great playoff game of Wahoo and I am sorry to say, the men won 2-1!!  What a great winter schedule we have enjoyed!

Off and On the Needles

 I finsihed knitting and blocking the vest for Marsel-in fact, it is on the way to her house by mail.  I have never taken on such a detailed project and for the most part, I give it a  thumbs up!

 So for some fast and furious knitting, a little cardigan for me to wear to the wedding next week-nothing like a deadline to kick your needles into bionic mode!

I planted my hollyhock seeds......now to wait for them to sprout!

Sandhill Mating Dance

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo PrintingThe sandhill cranes but on a show several times a day-they are dramatic and beautiful in their displays!

Saturday Sights

 Bill cleaned the solar panels and roof first thing this morning; the pine pollen is finally letting up.  While it turns the roof a very pretty lime green, it isn't very efficient for our solar panel's collection of rays!

 We picked up Dad and Mom and went to our little Farmer's Market in  Crescent City and then to a Farm Market in Barberville.  While the chickens are rabbits are tempting, my livestock days are behind me.

 We enjoyed the array of plants but we only bought some fresh veggies and enjoyed some freshly made tacos for lunch!

 While I did some knitting outside, JD was hiding from the world-her usual behavior!  Isn't she sweet, tho?

I have finished the neck ribbing and am almost done with one armhole ribbing! 

Friday Fun

Mom and I made some stitch markers this morning-

in our favorite colors!  Very satisfying little project!

We cranked along on our dishcloths but they were not a successful project.  It used almost the whole skein (I usually get two dishcloths from 1 skein) and it is just too big to use.  On the plus side, it was a fun challenge to figure out the pattern and getting a square from a circle!  (I have ripped mine out already!)

This one is Mom's and she ran out of yarn.  She can't decide if she will finish it or rip it out.

 The men are closing in our their list of jobs; they went around the house and put in vent covers along all the soffets.

And closed in the last of the porch ceiling where it had been removed for other projects. 

Closing in Toward the Finish Line

 I bound off my fair isle vest.......it looks funny because of the steeks pulling it out  of shape;

 ...but after you sew up and down the steeks to stablilize the stitches, and cut down the middle of the two rows of stitching.........Voila!  The knitting is starting to look like a vest!  Now to the ribbing.

 Strawberries are beginning to show up in our fruit stands!  What a great room freshener as the batch was simmering!

 Mom and I started a new project this afternoon..........it is a dishcloth.

 The men finished a project-enclosing the outside parts of the fireplace! 

 This will need to have the stucco applied and some sort of decoration in the line of tile which we are still debating!

Tonight, Bling sat under the orchid, gazing outside and looking very feline.