Project Putter

Knitted this skein of tussah silk up finally, it has been spun for a year and needed a purpose! I blocked the knitted squares and serged the fabric backs to them-very little stretching actually resulted but I did have a full supply of pins to keep each layer in place.

The back is a simple overlap layout because I don't like to have the stiffness of zippers but I want to be able to remove the pillow cover for cleaning-I almost use this exclusively.

Here is an outfit I perked up for Abigail. I had asked Marsel for the jean pants a few months ago and I cut them off (the waist still fits but she had outgrown the length) and added some fabric to make a skirt; a ruffle to the t-shirt and voila!

Here is the basic block Mom and I are making-it requires 4 blocks to make the one patterned pinwheel-now that we have the pattern in our minds, the blocks go together very quickly. We are also trying something new, I read on my yahoo group for quilting on machines that some innovators are pressing their seams open for flatter quilts which are easier to quilt by machine. We are trying to do that-it takes a bit longer to press but it sure does lay nicely. Will let you know how it goes !

Here is the first photo I took of the quilt blocks-Tom likes to be first on the scene and says he hasn't been in the blog for a while and Molly got to.....the things you do for love!

New Toy

This arrived in the mail yesterday..............and I struggled to make friends but it wouldn't talk to me for ever so long! This morning with the help of a friend who was ever so patient with me-I didn't goof up, I needed an additional download from online cuz I wasn't the only one with this problem! Well, I now have a knitting podcast on and I am cranking through my chores, it is warm out--and a pleasure to sweep off the front porch and sidewalk with arm skin showing again! Now to knit a podcast carrier for this.........

For those of you who like tech details: this is a Zen V Plus

(I do need to purchase different ear buds cuz these won't stay in and so I have them duct taped to my ears............now that is really high tech!

I am not kidding.)

Good Company-Bad Weather

Had a great visit with my brother and sister-in-law but the temps stayed cool and rainy. Now the cool is relative, I realize it is not northern cold but cool to us considering just a few days before they arrived it was 80 but the whole time they visited we saw little of the sun-one day hit 70 and the sun was nice, the wind was not! Oh, well, my brother put it in perspective-I'm not shoveling!

Here is something new-we have lawn in the winter! Bill planted winter rye. It is a lovely soft lawn but will not grow in the summer-the sun kills it then. We will be overplanting this with the Bahia grass in a few months and the rye will help the new grass establish itself. The plan is to have the Bahia mature just as the rye dies off so that we will have a lawn in the summer, too!

Some plants love the weather no matter the temperatures.....and others just look sad We are hoping for a comeback-maybe from the roots........hopefully it is not lost forever, though it is a pitiful shell of his former self!

Floors are cold on a slab foundation and this give a boost to sock feet! Some yarn I spun myself when I was a rookie. It is worsted weight-all I did was this weight in the beginning! The wool was perfect for this project and I have enough to make a few more pairs for some visitors next month!

Last week when 'in town' to take Bob and Shelly to the airport, we stopped and bought my parents a laptop so they could be connected while wintering here. Well , 3 computers and many hours of 'tech help' later-they finally have a laptop and a connection to the internet! It is good to have them here to help!

Hence, little in the line of sewing and knitting and I haven't spun anything for 10 days! Woe is me, but UPS brought me a delivery tonight---->now you are going to have to wait for tomorrow to see 'cuz blogger won't let me load now and supper calls............

A Snowbird Sighting

This is a common sight this time of year......the arrival of a snowbird! This particular species includes my parents and their chauffeurs, my brother and his wife! My parents stay until April....the younger family members in this flock, fly right back north. We went to visit my dad's sister-in-law who is a permenant resident-living a few hours south of here-nice drive and great visit.

We stop on the way to visit my uncle's gravesite in Florida's National Cemetery in Bushnell.

While my parents are here, I will be posting many more projects and trip pics-we do travel more with them here!

Outdoor Updates

I mentioned on the last post that we had a large burn pile....thought I would show you! Yes, in the middle is still some of the camphour stump-it is getting smaller but it was mammoth so it will still take quite a few burns to get rid of it! We never got the rains in July and August so did not get many opportunities to burn then; it is the dry season now so will have to wait for the odd spot of rain to get to burn this--at present, the area here has a 24" deficit in rainfall.

Caleb is here to work on his car-Dad still has the tools necessary to jack it up to change tires. Here he is working on changing his back speakers---> I stepped out to see how it was going and had a good laugh at his pose-he gave me permission to share it!

Here is one of our new little orange trees putting out its first good set of blossoms....I do wish I could 'scratch and sniff' link it for you!

And while we wait for the oranges to grow we are able to eat the tangerines that are just ripening......they will be good for months now-small but sweet, really sweet;mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,sweet!

Birthday Fiber to Yarn

The lovely merino/silk fiber I received for my birthday has been spun into the finest yarn I have spun yet at 18 wpi. It is so pretty with the silk adding a luster and strength to the wool -altogether pleasing. (No, I am not positive what I will knit with it yet but will just admire it in the bowl for now as Fiber Art.)

This is what has been keeping me busy for the last two days....Bill thought just a few hours....well, six to be exact and six more again yesterday...I am feeling muscles I forgot I owned! I also forgot to take a before picture, sorry, just imagine solid undergrowth with potato vines-15 per tree and 30 feet long each! It is so satisfying to me to do yard work-to conquer a tangled jungle and reveal the beauty and form of a palm tree, well there just aren't words enough to frame the thrill. We would cut down and trim and pull and then fill the tractor bucket with a load of brush and Bill would drive it to the burn pile out back. It is still too dry to burn but following the next wet day we are going to have a whopper of a bonfire! Marshmallows anyone? This is all that remains of a 30' pordocarpus tree-it was a beauty but planted in the wrong spot-it grew into the driveway and blocked the view to our spectacular magnolia tree. The bushes all around the trunk are azaleas that have grown horizontally because of the dense tree in their midst-they were probably circling the pretty little evergreen tree but the vision the long-ago gardener desired has come and gone! We still have to remove the trunk and then drastically cut back all the azaleas. I had wanted to wait until after they bloom (in March) but I can't bear to see them like this. One amazing fact of southern gardening is that the bounce-back factor is accelerated here so that if we cut them way back now next year they will be completely recovered and blooming! By the way, warm temps are back and we worked the 2 days in 80 degrees of sunshine.........we like the way the temps bounce back, too!

Here is a little pair of baby socks from the leftover yarn I died for the 'Sock Lessons' skeins. I have enough yarn to make another pair-they are toe-up and I can make a pair in an evening, especially if football is on!

A Freeze in the Tropics

A freeze two nights in a row makes this......
A very sad coleus.

And this.............

A very sad looking banana plant.

When it gets this cold it is not just cold air descending on our plants so much as cold all around them like putting them in a freezer-we put tarp over and down the sides but this did not prevent the air temp around them from doing its work. All the other plants I snuggled under their covers are fine-it was just the ones most susceptible to cold that died. Now we know why the hummingbirds fly even souther....local news is showing clips of other wildlife that is also struggling-namely, iguanas...falling out of trees which can be an annoyance, right?! Bill has a few sad looking tomato plants in his garden, too, and time will tell how they do.

Today, the sun is out and the temperature hit 60 so the freeze warning is over for now and probably won't repeat this year....live and learn.

Extremes!

Yes, the cats know that it is time to rest and wait out the cold snap! It was 26 degrees when we woke this morning but the sun is warming it up outside; only warming it because it is not going to be warm; there is a difference!

So what do you do when it is so cold outside? Put on an old movie and spin and eat fudge............

Welcome 2008!

We will embrace the new year with a visit to the beach today!
The temperature will be a mild 68 degrees and the sun will warm us with a gentle breeze. I would like this to be a new tradition to herald in the new year so..........



Here is a picture of
a flowering bush
(small tree?)
in the front yard
----->

I have not been able to identify
it yet...can you? There is not
a tremendous aroma from
the bloom but it is pretty. It resemble the leaves of a Ailanthus but it is not the right flower....will keep looking.

I never do New Year's resolutions...........instead I dig out unfinished projects to either bring to conclusion or to rip-out or toss! It is a great way to purge for a clear view for the coming months. Give it a try! I will be posting the FO's throughout the month and even the ones I will redirect!

Home Again

Hope y'all had a nice visit with the people who matter to you over Christmas-even if it was not in person-phone calls and e-mails do bridge the distances, too! We are back in FL--we missed the sunshine and warm temps!

Here is the skein of yarn I dyed for each of us-hers is a bit different-only 3 sections of colors and her sock is knitting up with a spiral pattern of color-mine is just little bits of color-I learn something new every time I dye-its great. I am finishing up the socks that we started for Christmas-she was making good progress on her first pair-tho she kept knitting it inside out..........I will investigate the psychology of that!

New furniture arrived yesterday-sure was a challenge to arrange the room but I think we have it for now-in the future, the window behind the couch will be a doorway to the new addition so I will have to make some changes...you think?!

The cats approve, too, and that is a good sign!

We both fell asleep in our recliners last night.........it was a lot of work moving stuff around and we are retired, you know!

Today I will finish de-cluttering the piles we moved out of the new space, finish knitting the second sock, spin some of my birthday fiber of Merino and Tussah silk from the McKees, laundry and probably will have to spend some time cooking because Bill says he is starting to diet for the new year but it isn't time yet..............HA-have you had that conversation before?!

This will come as no surprise to many of you, Bill has a fascination for weather patterns and for years has called us to let us know about the Doppler status of our area....he takes his weatherman duties pretty seriously and so his kids bought him a very hi-tech weather system...the smile says it all!

Merry Christmas to You!

Greetings to all who read this! We are spending a week in Georgia at my Daughter and Son-in-Law's home. Matthew and Caleb arrive tonight so we will have a happy houseful!

Bill and I have spent 33 Christmases together--sure does bring up memories. It seems like yesterday and a hundred years ago both that his parents would come to our house on Christmas Eve and open gifts with our little ones...........Christmas day was always closed out with my parents and siblings and gifts and laughs..................... A ton of changes already have been incurred with the move a year ago so what is a few more!

Weather is a bit cooler in the 40's so we dug out some sweatshirts, sweaters and corduroy! So wonderful to receive real hugs from the grandkids instead of just the phone ones!

Craftwise, I am teaching Marsel to knit socks.........she already knits but never socks so we are making ourselves a pair of toe-ups! Since it is all new to her-why not!? I bought some white superwash with nylon from Knitpicks and dyed it brown, green and purple- each of our skeins are a little bit different and both are knitting up beautifully. Hopefully, we will post a finished sock before we leave!

May all your endeavors enrich your life and those around you-

Have a very Merry Christmas Day!

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

How quickly this past year has unrolled. Even in the frustrations of the permits (garage and addition) dim in view of the fact that WE ARE HERE! It is always good to take a good look of the year in review- Health-We always joked that it would take a year for Bill to catch up on his sleep after all the shift work...........it is true; he is finally starting to wake up early and get an energy level back! And me? I feel great-rested and relaxed.

Empty Nesters-after a few false starts, we are enjoying living in a home with just the two of us. The housecleaning is easier and so is the cooking! Bill is doing 99% of the shopping-a promise he always gave and is now kept-a result of my dislike of the chore and his love of shopping and shopping for food to boot!(And he always said he could do it better 'cuz he likes going to different stores for the best deals and I didn't do that!)

Grown Children-all of our children are now 21 and older-2 married and 2 developing careers while single. It is wonderful to be able to keep in touch and visit with them(grandchildren are a mere skip and a jump away (8hrs)-even our oldest son will be visiting with his bride from the Northwest this year! (He has never seen our new home and she has never visited FL!)

Weather-is absolutelly perfect-to be outside and in our yard every day is a blessing which words do not do justice..........The sun is out, the air is clear-even the hottest summer heat did not discourage us because it was only 'too hot' for a few hours in the middle of each day-mornings and evenings were still great.

Friends-While we are farther away from many (thank goodness for cell phones and e-mail!) we have moved closer to some and made new ones, too. Finding a church home was a major hurtle overcome pretty quickly after being here-a blessing we still do not take lightly.

Landscaping progress-we added trees, flowers, grass and beat the jungle growth back on most of this 10 acres! Bill even beautified the wet area into a pond and lawn now!

Driveway-graded and laid with asphalt millings so it does not wash out on the road every time it rains! (Tracks less sand in cars and house, too!)

Septic system-we have a whole new system with a drainage field moved out of the way of the new addition!

Well-a new well is drilled and placed where it will be away from the pool area to come--no sulphur either!

Contractors-we have eliminated dozens of them and have a few leads on possible workers in the area!

Power Service-added new pole and laid the foundation for underground service to come with the addition.

Snakes and Bugs-are not an issue-we learn how to deal with ants-(don't go barefoot in an ant hill), roach tablets and a quick swat with a shoe controls the Palmetto bugs (only dealt with 6 in the house so far), spiders all get the shoe or sprayed (no larger ones in the house than we had in the old farmhouse!) the snakes, only 3 so far, startled us outside but haven't seen them in a long time (are told by locals that having cats around the yard eliminates their presence!) Thank you Tommy and Bling!

Birds-an abundance all the time is incredible.........from chickadees to sand hill cranes--all are welcome and in abundance. We have lots of berry trees and it is an 'all you can eat' feast for all the birds (and squirrels, too!) We have tons of the northern robins now-they are looking fat after a few weeks of the aforementioned feast! And we learned that our hummingbirds also go south-er for the winter-Central America in fact!

Seasons-Yes, we do have seasons and it has been wonderful to see Florida for a whole cycle. We have been visiting here for 30+ yrs but have never seen the whole picture-it has been so exciting to see and we have learned so much. Most of the trees that are also found in the North have just about lost all of their leaves now. The colors that started their demise didn't start until November.
Flowers are a feast all year round-many species flower for 6-8 months and then rest a bit until they start all over again-others, like the rain lilies literally sprout a bloom overnight (in the first rains of late spring) and last only a week-all are beautiful and worthy of our attention! Most of the locals take their vacation in the Fall-the weather is truly perfect Sept - Dec, warm, sunny and no humidity (and most will tell you that the snowbirds aren't here yet either!)

Yes, it is good to reflect on the past year....even if they do not all hold the 'firsts' that this year produced! Like most years-it has had its high and low points yet I am so glad this dream of living in Florida has been realized!
In the memorable quote of Jackie Gleason when asked if he had lived here is whole life, he replied, "Not yet!" Lord willing, we will be able to say the same.



[As for pics...most have already been added to this blog under earlier posts!]

Tree Skirt

Managed to get the tree skirt finished-it is probably a Victorian idea that the tree stand must be covered-as is proper for all legs....I must admit , it does look framed now. The cats apprciate my effort to make it more comfortable at any rate!

Fake Isle Again

Made this over the weekend and still don't feel like it will be the last one! The 'solid' color has much more subtly of color than expected-which is one of the reasons to try to dye it yourself-the color is more of itself! The hat went much quicker this time since I have the confidence of the size and results now. Knit this one with additional stitches around and like the overall proportion even better. Found mitten pattern to match wool size-fingering almost so will start on them today.

Faux Isle Hat Take 2

Voila! Now it has a better ribbing, a better shape and proportion and I am smiling. Have enough yarn to make a pair of mittens to match-will start them tonight.

So satisfying to see the labors of your hand-spinning the wool, dyeing the yarn, knitting and now posting it--thanks for sharing y'all!

'Tis the Season.........

Our usual markers for the passing of time and the arrival of the Christmas season are different......we are working on making new ones that we will remember-always a challenge! We decided that Dec 1st will be put up the tree day...boys up for Caleb's early birthday celebration so we did this with more their help---->

This tree looks like the 'real' one we have cut down each year but this one is a perpetual tree........I had it up in minutes(prelit)........it improved in my estimation immediately! I now get to make a new tree skirt....hopefully will be done by next week!

Bill surprised me with a Poinsettia-it has already lost most of the leaves.......I have a love/hate relationship with this flower-the good news down here-I will plant it after Christmas-outside and it will grow and so I win!

I sewed some Christmas accessories for the boys..........for my young men (Caleb at 21 is no longer a boy...I need to make the verbal shift!) When I asked them if they were going to decorate they said only if they didn't have to put out any money. I had these in my closet to sew some day-what a perfect opportunity and the amazing fact is that I found them! It required hours and a strong son to find the big box of decorations in the portable garage but he perservered! I had plenty of extras to share from that, too, so they left with an apt's worth of stuff!

The weather is really warm still, very easy to put up some outside lights on the front porch-Jared called while I was putting them up to say that it was snowing for them, here, Bill and other sons were playing golf-shorts and polo shirt-you see why we are having to make some new seasonal markers! We will catch on and Lord willing, will have years to learn the signs!