HELLO KNITTING, MY OLD FRIEND

I wanted to knit a pair of the Tough & Toasty mitts again because this weekend will be very chilly for us and might even hit a frost alert.  I will be prepared with a scarf and wearing these matching mitts.  The yarn is handspun from Merino/silk.  I will be making these again in the new handspun yarn as soon as I knit the dropped stitch scarf first!

We were visited all day by this large flock of turkeys.

  They chatter away as they eat-it is very relaxing to watch them!

 

TODAY IS A GIFT!

I do still find some time to do hand knitting!  Two pairs of fingerless mitts are completed;  and it is always a challenge to knit with black yarn! lol  These are knit with the pattern that mimics little leather gloves like bikers wear!

Yesterday I woke up and hit the road for all kinds of errands, then went to Quitling Group and then home, finally. 

 I was pretty tired.  

I did a little sanding on the two woodshop projects

 but have some finished projects today--

I get to stay home today!!!!

 

A LITTLE UPRIGHT

I was able to be out of bed yesterday and of course, I had house cleaning and laundry to catch up on!  Since the knitting machine is right next to the washer/dryer, 

I made another pair of mitts.  

They fit well and will be warm on the cold days!

While I was in bed the last few days, 

I made another two pair of the camo kid mitts, too.  

That's it on my end.

 

A LITTLE CITRUS...

Another pair of camo mitts for grandsons...

A bit of crochet for citrus coasters--I added some lime ones!

We don't get colorful leaves until now--this Maple tree survived the flood we endured-you can see a dead one right next to it.

but since we had one frost already, we now see a bit of red/orange and yellow leaves!

We even enjoy a bit of color in our Poplar tree.  (our form of 

Another tall Maple tree which is bracketed by several dead pine trees.

Another source of color--bananas!

 And a Cassia tree covered with blossoms!

WARM HANDS PART II

The second larger mitt was accomplished in no time today--good notes sure help.  I made them with Red Heart yarn. 

 The small mitts I made with Yarn Bee yarn called Baby Camo.  These are made to be kid sized mitts for the Florida grands!  Today was a pretty sluggish day

 so it was nice to have something to do while I was sitting!

 

WARM HANDS

Since the dog is still here because every shelter is full and they can't take her in and no one we know is looking for a new pet...

...the cats are housebound! 

 Lena turned to tv like so many of us during a lockdown!

I played with the knitting machine and made a fingerless mitt.

The second one is well on its way.  

More stats when I finish it soon.

Here is that unknown plant so you can see where it is growing.

The seed pods are turning color--

look how beautiful the centers are becoming! 

 By the way, the plant has been identified as a Clerodendrum Indicum.  Fascinating read.  

The plant is grown in Asia, Hawaii and other tropical areas. 

 I think it is just incredible!

 

WELCOME TO NOVEMBER!

 Nothing like starting out the month with chilly morning temperatures!  It was 51* but it did warm up to 73* but such a drop is hard to bear with our thin southern blood!  Several of these little mitts are necessary and will keep the arthritis pains at bay!  This particular pair is for a friend but it requires such a small amount to make them, I have plenty for another pair for myself!  It is knit on #3 needles this time with Capretta yarn, a superwash Merino and Cashmere blend.  Luscious as well as warm!

APPRECIATION FOR CREATING

I worked on the last of the pinwheels and finished the top row to complete this FL Souvenir Quilt top!  It is 45" by 58";  I do not have fabric for the backing so this will have to go in the pile to wait for its turn at the quilting frame.

We had our usual T-storm in the afternoon--the driveway looked like it was smoking as the rain wound down and the sun came back out---very cool.

During the rain, I made a pair of these minimal mitts for a friend who has a circulation problem giving her cold hands. 

 KnitPicks Stroll yarn.  

 

Square is Cool!

The square Maple bowl is completed!  I only had to sign and finish the bottom of the bowl when I got home after the MRI.  I did fine and will get results next week.  

The bowl has worm holes and trails...it is very unique!  It measures 5 1/2" square and 2 1/2" deep.

I'm always happy to see it sits flat and level on the table!

Signed and sealed, it is ready to go in the mail to my Dad for his birthday!  Shhhh!  He is turning 88 next week!

Just before bed last night, I finished the second mitt in Lion Brand's CoBoo yarn.  Silky smooth and very comfortable.  I sure was glad when I brought mitts and socks to wear in the 'tube' yesterday--it is freezing in there, no matter that it was a very warm day outside!

In fact, the sunset last night guarantees another warm day today-red sky at night and all that!  It is nice to get a reprieve from the chilly temps we have had this winter--I will sit in the sunshine for you today, if you are having snow!

 

Studio and Woodshop

The blocks were quickly sewn together yesterday and loaded on the frame.  I am doing a panto called Birds & Blooms-perfectly appropriate and no brain strain trying to figure out free motion right now!

 With the leftover bird fabric which makes the centers of the blocks, I made a new cushion for my dining room chair-I even included a zipper so it can be easily washed this time!  (the last cushion didn't have one and was a pain to hand sew closed again!

I like a fresh look!

I stopped for lunch-a fresh tangerine!  it's funny to me that the citrus fruits are ripe in January but they are!

I signed and sealed the natural edge bowl--it is 5" tall and about 5" wide.  (It is sitting on a tin because the bottom wasn't quite dry but I wanted a picture!)  The wood is camphor.  

The bark just seals so beautifully!

And to end the day, a pair of mitts for a grandson who needed his mitts to match his hat I made last year!  I had forgotten the color of the hat but he reminded me!  Good thing I can make a pair in no time at all!

 

Wood and Wool

The new tool came today-it is the one with the light wooden handle.  The tool on the left, a bowl gouge, is what I have been using to hollow out bowls and it works fine on open bowls.

But you can see how the geometry just wouldn't result in the same angle as I can get with the hooked tool, called-surprise-a carbide hollowing tool!  Doesn't this picture perfectly what it feels like when you are being worked on by the dentist!?

  I had such a laugh when I took the picture!  

The tool works well, I was able to put it right to use pretty quickly 

and I will have it done today!

I also completed the second mitt for the dark green children's mitts

 and started the adjusted Tough & Toasty for youngest son!  

The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn and I had worsted weight I wanted to use--just a bit of math to get the numbers right and voila! 

 I will finish the second one for him today 

and then send them in the mail with the pair for his wife!

***************************

As I titled this post, Wood and Wool, I noted that the words were so closely spelled-just a one letter difference!

And that sent me down the rabbit hole of other similarities; 

 namely, both come from living hosts,

 both have to be cut from its host before it can be used,

both are used to warm us....

Can you add to this list?

 

Halfway Projects

A new live edge bowl on the lathe. 

 The shape is kinda like a globe;  which is a result of a goof on my part

 but I was very happy with the accident!

 The bark is narrow and wide on opposing sides---this one will be very interesting!  I had to order a new tool for hollowing shapes like this

 since the inside diameter is wider than the top. 

 It will be here on Monday so I will take it off the lathe

 and work on a new vase for now.

I only made one mitt of the pair--I need to remedy that 

before I head to the lathe today!

Isn't this pretty?!  It is a bromeliad variety 

that has a very complex flower--most bromeliads only color their leaves instead of producing a distinct flower. 

 No aroma, of course, but it sure is pretty to see large clumps of color!

Lena still sleeps on her mat on my sewing table--she is waiting for me to hang out in there again! 

 Soon.

A Science Experiment

This is a cool sight for lots of reasons 

but today I will stay focused on the sun dial. 

 Haven't you wondered how to read one and do they really work?!  

Well, yes they do but some are only decorative; 

 you must have your latitude to have the angles right for it to be accurate.  The pretty ones you can buy for your garden are just that--pretty.  

That is why this is so interesting. 

 Go to Blocklayer to print your own on a piece of paper,

 cut it out and fold the center up on the printed lines. 

 They recommend slipping a stiffener in the 'wedge' that gives the shadow

 so I used a piece of 3 x 5 card cut to size and glued in place. 

 AND IT WORKS!  

Just point the triangle to due north

 and sure enough, that shadow falls right on the right time!  

What a cool experiment; 

 give it a try-you are never too old to enjoy science!   

 They also have templates like this so you can 'build' a more permanent sundial. And look at the name of the 'triangle'. 

 It is called a gnomon (pronounced no-mun)

Who knew?!

 I plan on cutting a circle out of wood and wood-burning the hour marks in place for a decorative and accurate sundial for my yard! 

Another pair of mitts to add to the pile!  

This is knit with gradated yarn so one pair is  lighter than the other

 but they are definitely a pair!

Live Edge Bowl Finish

I did it!  The live edge bowl is finished 

and I'm thrilled with the outcome! 

 It is camphor wood, finished with several coats of shellac.

  If you haven't learned your 'one new thing a day' yet today,

 read this article on shellac!  

The grain swirls and swoops and the bowl has several knots 

which really add to the interest.  

The bark is sealed but good now and there is no danger of it falling off .

The bowl is 7" tall and  5 1/2" wide this time.

Now to figure out how to sign the bowl-a real signature design

 and then I will seal the bottom with shellac, also. 

 If I can get it to look good on paper, 

I will draw it on the bowl and then wood burn it for permanence. 

 (Did you know that wood burning art work is called pyrography? 

 Now you do!)

And I have one pair of fingerless mitts done for a Florida grand.  

We are having chilly (for us) mornings

 and the kids can use a bit of hand warming! 

 Only three more pairs to go!