Digging Through

There is something to be said for trying a little of everything through the years... 

Marsel brought me a bolt of this heavy woven fabric.  I knew it would make great rugs but I would need to bind it.  I dove into the old woolen rugs bin and I found the rug binding!  It worked very easily to bind it and get it in place!  I made two rugs and still have enough fabric to make some more cool things!

I added the extra borders to this little clamshell top so I could square it up.   Once I finished the top it wasn't square-each side was its own measurement!  Not good.   Too many bias sides, I figured.  The best way to hide the discrepancies is to extend the border and then when you square it up, the slight variation won't show!  Nice fix.   Now I am ready to add some color! 

I ran into a problem with this hexagon quilt...I ran out of the sage green triangle fabric!  I was so sure I had counted them out and had it down to the exact number.  I was wrong!  I am not sure what will happen now.  If I had realize I wasn't going to have enough, I would have blended the odd ones throughout the quilt, now they will all fall at the last row and a half.  Not good.  I will bench it until I can go to JoAnns Fabric to see what is available.

May's Monday Mural #3

A memorial to the man who worked to acquire statehood for Florida.

And the magnolias are just in bloom here so a fitting addition!

Palatka, Florida. 

The Peacock flock cruising the streets of Crescent City , Florida!  I have seen one or two at a time but this was the first time I could get close enough to see a big flock of them! 

I decided to try out a set of the short needle circulars from KnitPicks so it is easier to make small hats, for example.  This baby hat will match the Baby Surprise Jacket I knit a while ago even if the camera completely read the colors wrong.  lol  The needles sure speed things up but I don't think I could bear to use the super short sock ones (8") some knitters are using.  I do like zipping around with my knit and purl rows to get the garter in the round!

Finishing Up the Weekend

I dug through the stash to find the May color of green for the RSC2016.

These are small flying geese arranged in three 6" blocks.

I need to make 6 more for a total of 9 blocks by the end of the month.

The month looks very open in its schedule compared to the first few months of the year!

I seamed up and buttoned the first BSJ I made in Georgia.  I didn't think I had enough yarn to seam it up and sew on the buttons but I did!  Why didn't I try to finish it there?! 

I finished this on the way home but I put buttons on it today also.  Nice to add them to the done pile.

I think I will find a children's shelter to donate all the sweaters.  

I have another half finished on the needles now.  No, I am not done making these.

The turquoise one will fit a 1 year old, the yellow/green and the orange one will fit a 6 month old.

The pattern stays the same, the stitch count I mean, but the size of the yarn and needles result in the variation of the sweater sizes!  Really a genius pattern.

Travel

I finished the next baby surprise jacket...in Cascade Cherub DK.  It is so soft and light knit on the number 5 needles. 

What a welcome home!  No rain or terrible traffic on the 8 hour trip home but a sprinkle and a rainbow when we finished carrying in all the luggage!

A First!

There are few things I can say I haven't done that I want to still.  Today was a surprise gift from Matthew because we took care of his boys while he was in Hawaii.

I have gone my whole life without a massage professionally.  Today, I was spoiled with a wonderfully relaxing and therapeutic massage !  I was sure the hour would be too long and that I would get bored.  I was wrong.  I had stress in my shoulders I didn't realize I had.  I have had kinks removed and my whole body is smiling!

What a great experience!

You are never too old to try something new!

Testing and Trying-

 

Another Baby Surprise Jacket out of the rest of the Cascade Cherub DK;  I am making this one on size 5 needles so it is going to be smaller and more delicate.  It is such a good knit!  Unless you run out of yarn and didn't pack the second skein!  Home is 45 minutes away because we are sitting in the Home School Hideout.....

While the kids work on their state testing because they are home schoolers and this is required every 3 years.  They exceed the grade averages every year !  (Excuse the grandma boast!)

Marsel and I knit, whisper and wait for the kids each morning!  Nice to share the time!

Monday Mural #2

The paper/pulp mill is still big business in Palatka, Florda.

Sunday

Mamas and their offspring!  We had a wonderful day at church, being able to hear Bruce preach and Abigail do a special number with some other young girls.  Bill treated us to a Mexican restaurant for lunch...it was so nice to not have to meal plan!

In the afternoon while the men slept, Marsel and I cut through some more scraps. 

We ended up with 11 complete kits all ready to be worked up and given to the senior center this Christmas!

I heard from my sons and talked with my Mom;  it was a perfect Mother's Day.

Tumbler Patches!

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom who taught me how to sew so I could teach my daughter!

In between meals, laundry and painting we cut out a huge pile of scrap tumbler blocks Saturday! 

We had fun combining different color themes and even adding the right yardage for the backing. 

We had lots of fabric to go through, starting with a bin of fabric my Mom gave Marsel from her sister who passed away.  It is nice to  put the fabric to good use, just the way my Aunt had in mind when she was buying for her stash!   

We put the rows into piles all marked for future piecing so we can remember the right order at some future date! 

All 8 piles are bagged, marked and backed!  It will be easy to grab a baggie and piece one together in an hour!  Yippee!

The room is completed as far as painting;  we will organize it and make the curtains soon!

A Romp in the Studio

Krystle, my daughter-in-law in Seattle, asked for a romper with ruffles and applique ice cream and the #1 for Mila's first birthday party! 

And so of course, I made it for her! 

The bonus is this little bonnet to top the outfit!  Now I just hope the weather is warm enough for her to wear it!

Go Blue!

We have a painted room!  It is so bright, calm and pretty!  I can't wait to get the fabric for the windows soon! 

The dormer will soon hold her treasure chest with dress up clothes! 

David and Abigail tied Marsel's birthday balloons to a lot of string and let it soar!

It was lots of fun in lieu of a kite;  the weather didn't cooperate for that activity this time! 

Araignee inspired me to knit the Regina Marie shawl.  I have worked a bit on it; it has several new-to-me stitch figurations and right after I took this picture, I dropped it and lost half of the stitches!

As many of you know, you can't easily pick up lost lace stitches and I had to rip the whole thing out.

You have to make 26 repeats of a 12 row pattern so I only lost two....Ack!  It is lace weight yarn on number four needles.  I am not loving it. 

And starting over is the last chance it is going to have.  I have a feeling it isn't going to make it in this lace weight yarn-it is hard to feel in my fingers, it is too cobwebby to hold but I am going to knit 5 repeats before I give up-I will decide then.  

The blue is pretty and it would make a great shawl.....

Painting the Sky

We woke up this morning and decided we couldn't wait to complete Abigail's bedroom!

While we were at the Sherwin Williams store to buy our paint, David cleaned out all the contents of the room except for the bed and dresser!  We had to paint the bottom half of the room where the wallpaper had been so that it would be an even coat....we will be tackling the rest of the painting tomorrow!  It is going to have the look of French cottage.

We are all excited about the progress!

The sock count is up another pair of socks!

Knit in Cascade Cherub DK

Over 56 sts in the Zigzagular pattern.

Uses one skein plus a smidge of a second.

My daughter wears a size 10 1/2 so one skein would work for a pair of short socks

in size 8-9.

I think I will inflict a bit of lace knitting on myself tomorrow.  We will see....

Special Days

Next pair of socks on the needles;  same Cascade Cherub yarn in a different colorway.  I am working these with a strip of zigzagular patterning up the side of the foot. 

For several years, we talked about stripping the wallpaper from Abigail's room but we got sidetracked each time with a different 'big' project.  This year we did it!  David helped move furniture and took turns operating the steam pan to help remove that wallpaper!  Abigail wants blue walls, new curtains in white for a French cottage look in her room.  We can't get to the painting this visit but she is closer to the goal! 

The walls were green for the first few years of being here, then purple for Abigail a few years later.  The wallpaper was just the bottom half of the wall.  The room was put back in order in time for crockpot dinner and a bit of a birthday celebration. 

Then we headed out for church. 

After church, there was a surprise cake and refreshments!  It is wonderful to know God has provide my daughter with an incredible family and church family, too! 

Happy Birthday, dear daughter!

Some Knitting in Georgia

I cleaned out my daughter's socks and tossed the ones with holes in the heels.  She can't bring herself to do this but I am ruthless.  Toss them and let me make some new ones!  She always wears through at the bottom of the heel.  It has to be something in her anatomy because no matter what yarn or what size needle I knit with, she develops the hole in the same spot.  So, I get to knit often for her-it works for me!

Today is her birthday....how appropriate to shower her with socks...the next pair is already on the needles!

STATS:  The yarn is Cascade Cherub DK which is an acrylic/nylon blend.  It feels like soft cotton.
  I knit toe-up, cast on 12 sts with Judy's magic cast on, increase to 56 stitches and then do something fun up the side of the foot.

She bought this yarn at a LYS closing last year and has been saving it for a pair of socks-just call me the sock fairy!

Slow Days in Georgia

The flip-flop/yoga sock are completed.  The heel being absent keeps the rest of the sock in position better than the pair I knit without the toes only.  These are very comfortable and even for sleeping because they are not too warm!  I will be using more leftover sock yarn for additional pairs! 

David and I built a 'whack-a-mole' shoebox to play with the cats;  we glued a mousie on the end of a pencil to poke through the hole.  It was fun! 

Felix, their manx cat, is such a sweet boy.  He likes to visit with the goldfish several times a day.

This is on the end table by my recliner so I enjoy the show! 

The clematis is in bloom!   Why don't  I have one of these plants?  I think I will be adding one to a beautiful bamboo trellis when I get home!

Monday Mural #1

This mural is a commemoration of the Senator B. C. Pearce who was instrumental in the agricultural assistance to area farmers with the two most important crops of cabbage and potatoes.

It is found on St Johns Ave between 10th and 11th streets.

I finished knitting another Baby Surprise Jacket.

Because it is a wonderful, fast knit that you can do while watching tv, talking with kids and in general zoning out.  Perfect .  And almost as good as a sock.   

I knit this right to the very end.  I left enough to do the buttons the way I like to and then I remembered I need yarn to seam the top edge.  I need to get creative now.   I am still thinking about that.....

It's May Day!

Today is our 40th wedding anniversary!

I am in Georgia with Marsel and family

and Bill is holding the fort at home.

So we will celebrate all year for hitting such a milestone!

By God's grace and mercy, we are still learning how to be the partners in His service.

But the roles are much more precious to us than ever before...s