A Day in the Cave

When the boys lived here, they dubbed the room I now do my sewing/crafing in as the cave-it has no windows and they always kept it dark in there so it was appropriatly named but now the name has stuck and we still call it that! I keep it lit right up though, just ask Bill!!!
The cave was a hub of activity today-I made a list of things to finish up in there and I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the process. Bill is finishing up on the electrical and came to visit occasionally to update me, but mostly it was quiet and creative! I hit up the pile of fabrics and sewed up a tablerunner. It was so much more comfortable to be able to stand at the table and not hunch over! I planned, cut, ironed and laid out all my pieces to my heart's content!

I also cut out a tie for David using a pattern I saw on The Purl Bee; it is from the fabric I made Abigail's birthday dress out of so they can 'match'. It is a quick go but requires the back seam sewn up by hand.........good thing I like to do handwork! I next put my hand to quilting the tablerunner........ I modified the small feather pattern to make it less fussy and it worked up more to my liking. The plan is to finish binding it tomorrow.
I finished up the last stitch on the tie just in time to hit the dinner preparation hour-what a nice day.

Oh, here is a sock that is just minutes away from being frogged. I saw a pattern ages ago to make a sock with the cuff out of 3 small granny squares (crocheted) and then pick up the stitches and knit the rest of the sock. I had fun making it but when I tried it on.......way to chunky and bulky looking! I will save this yarn for a Fall weaving project! Say goodbye to this idea that is down the tubes.........at least I got the idea out of my head! Permanently! Starting a new sock instead tonight!

Town Sales

We took a trip into Daytona Beach to take advantage of some sale items........I brought home mine but Bill is holding a raincheck!

The cats were great help in putting together my Craft table. I did need to have Bill's help for several of the steps required muscle.......he gladly assisted.

The dye pot turned out some great skeins........a pair of pink and blue are out of Finn wool-they are so squeezie-feels delicious and no, I don't know what they will make. The other 2 skeins are of the suffolk/alpaca blend I have been spinning and that will be for another weaving project.

We found a sidewalk cafe for New York Pizza and were so wondrously surprised-it is a close second to Gino and Joe's; the best pizza in the world! We will repeat that performance, I guarantee it! Followed up the great lunch with a walk on the beach and then home.

Routine Again!?

We closed up the 'vacation' house because all the guests have gone!

Did laundry and cleaning and in between I filled up the time with my usual fibery pursuits:

I started out with some dyeing of 6 handspun skeins.

Picked out some fabrics from the stash for another tablerunner.

Tried a new use out for the ping pong table--I am much better at this than I am for the real game! (You can see the lawn mower in the background-Bill has another project, too-it quit!)

Yes, I think I have a much better game at weaving. I worked out great because I could get a longer warp this way-7' actually, so that with fringe, etc I can have a longer woven linen. I warped with a #5 cotton and will use my handspun for the weft.

I accomplished quite a bit on the second sock-just a few more inches of ribbing! Closed out the day with some actual weaving......
it is so much airier with the warp being thin.........I just love the way weaving surprises me with each new project! I am listening to Weavezine podcasts while I putter through the day, catching up on old ones and learning so much!

Boat Tour

We took Mike, Anita and Jackie on a boat ride after church yesterday. The weather was perfect and the gators thought so , too, because there were so many of them sunning themselves! The wind has abated and so we had quite a wonderful ride.

We docked at our fav restaurant and saw this little guy-

I was so tired because of getting up before 4am to take Jared, Krystle and Jason to the airport before church , that I fell asleep sitting up on the ride home!

Beach Day Again

We squeezed in another visit to the beach. We got there in time for low tide but the winds were still strong and so we didn't do any water time-just a real long hike looking for shells.

Such beautiful waves .

The guys found this cutie-a puffer fish--he has spines all over the top of his back-beware!

I did a bit of this and a lot of book reading.

The guys tossed a football and then we went to lunch at a beach cafe. What a great time.

Mostly at Home Day

We hung around the 'train house' today. The guys braved the high winds and played badminton while the girls sat inside and gabbed! (Okay , we did eat a lot of junk food, too!)

I even managed to get everyone together for a group shot! Krystle's parents and sister have joined the group-what a good visit we have enjoyed!

This is what I made on our beading day.......we had fun knitting together! Marsel and Krystle each made a choker like the one on the top of the pic.

And The Beat Goes On!

What a fun time we are having! Went to Fort Mantanzas yesterday.......we had a picnic first before the beach.

I have been taking pictures of all my kids in this tree for 20 years.........the family tree is growing!
I did a little of this on the beach but mostly watched the antics of all the 'children'. Never a dull moment....Jared even rescued a 14 yr old girl from the water-she had gashed her thigh open (6-7") from a spill on her surf board-he scooped her up and carried her to her parents and while they applied pressure to the wound and waited for the EMT's, we packed up their stuff... Caleb got a nasty cut at the base of his toe while using his skimmer board-minor in comparison to the young woman's but it is giving him some mobility problems. Never a dull moment!

We celebrated David's birthday when we got back fromt he beach! He turns 7 on Sunday but we wouldn't all be together then so.............

The evening was full of happy bodies............

Cheerful Chaos

Hanging out and having a good time with all the stories, teasing , etc! Jared and Jason enjoyed the tornado watch / thunderstorm last evening--Seattle has a lot of rain but doesn't do justice to a good thunder and lightening storm!

Marsel and I took Bruce to the airport today because he had to go back to 'real' life.

I have managed to get one sock done and the other is well on its way. (Car time yields knitting time!)

Yesterday, most of the crew went for a boat tour. Jared caught some incredible 'gator sightings shots! Is this guy smiling at you?!

These guys don't look too scary yet, but give them a few seasons and then they will!

Girls are going to the beading table......hope to give you a glimpse of the fruits of our labors tomorrow!

Happy Easter!

He is risen................He is risen indeed!

All together for church...........it has been a long time since we worshipped under the same earthly roof!

Arrival!

We got to the airport a bit early (by an hour!) so we sat outside and Bill napped while I started a sock!

Here we are at the restaruant on the way home............yes, I see she took a blurry pic but it is all I have for now and will update it later today! (from the left, Krystle, me, Bill, Jared and Jason)

Finishing Up the Prep Work

I started out doing just a little on the weaving. It is good to find that weaving also allows for busy hands and a peaceful mind.

I was enjoying myself so much I ended up finishing it! I washed it, laid it out in the sun to dry and then pressed it with my steam press.............very nice finish that way. I am learning so much about color and thread interplay-can't wait for the next project.

I did the finish work on three pairs of socks........interesting to see the different color patterns that resulted. I am going to buy some beads the right color and make some necklaces out of the remaining yarn-this is merino/tencel blend and feels like a mercerized cotton-very light weight and perfect for a summer sock!

I put on a movie and determined to put in the three hours required to finish the tablerunner I started last month!

I didn't enjoy doing the quilting but now that it is done, it is just incredible so I am glad I perservered!
I also finished spinning the dyed batts from last week. I ended up spinning 2 skeins blended blues and green and the other one just blue. I think they are going to become socks still.....

Yes, Nyki helped me every step of the way! I had a frenzy of fiber pursuits because the next 10 days are going to be frenzied in a very different way and I needed to fill my solitude tanks! We pick up Jared and Krystle and Jason, business partner and friend, tomorrow afternoon! Bring them on!

Anticipation........

Look who's back! They have been here for a week but I kept missing a pic! They are not the only guests returning to Florida...........by the end of week ,we are going to have a full house of the Minota clan! We have not all been in Florida since 1995! They were all children then-yes, even and 18 yr old is still a child, Marsel!

Anyway, we are cleaning and getting ready for everyone and it helps the time fly to keep busy! Continuing on the backyard beautification, I added 2 new slats to this bench and gave it a coat of paint. The wrought iron needs a coat, too, but I don't have what I need so it will have to wait.


I swept and mopped the south addition to make room for an overflow area of sleepers. In between the whirlwind of clean, I warped this and started weaving. It has a warp of acrylic/silk from my stash and the weft is the left over yarn from the socks I made for Marsel when she had her surgery. It is looking pretty good for pink!
Bill picked these for supper.

Look at this color combination...........it is an inspiration for this dyer/weaver/knitter/quilter! I enjoyed every mouthwatering mouthful! (If you like beet greens with the beets, be sure and add a clove or two of garlic-you won't taste it but it does a chemical thing and makes them the sweetest greens you have ever eaten!)

Two New Yard Goodies

We almost gave up on this redbud tree but it has finally produced some buds! Pitiful, yes, but it is alive and so we will keep watering it! (I thought we were watering a dead stick!)

And Bill is excited to see that he has a baby pineapple growing-you can see the damage from the frosts but it is producing in spite of it-The plant is about 2 ' tall and the other 5 are not mature enough to produce yet, but this success helps to keep caring for them!