SUNSHINE AND OUTDOORS!

Dad's flowers---Azalea

Quince

Quince bush.

Dogwood in the back and Hydrangea in the front.

Mom and I are working on this puzzle-

It doesn't fit on the table!  

Then we took a walk next door

 to my sister's to see her major project!

I wandered around to look at her pretty plants! 

 We call this hen and chicks.

Her Azalea.

And then the cement truck came!  

The work began to pour the pool patio!

I enjoy seeing the dandelions--

--in all of its stages;  we don't have them in our yard back home!

When we went back down after dinner, 

we could savor the finished work with her!  Beautiful!

Today, we are heading to Lake Ontario!

 

JUST CHILLING

 This is the view that I see first thing in the morning from my bedroom window!  It's a crab apple tree!  

And I am enjoying smelling the blooms from the many lilac trees in my parents' yard!

Today's social schedule is made from two doctor's appointments but we are together and that makes it pleasurable!

FLIGHT DAY

I am glad to say that my flights went well with no delays or disruptions!  I could almost like to fly again!

It was cloudy when I left Florida and it was cloudy all the way to NY!  I did enjoy a good bit of knitting!

I made one pair and started another of the 'biker's mitts' with an odd skein of Felici yarn.  

Today will be a ton of show 'n tell and stories and laughter with my parents and my sister and her family who live next door.

 

UP, UP AND AWAY!

The new warp is threaded and the beginning of the towel has begun!  The first light color is going to be the hem area.  The next few inches are the first stripe, next is a grey stripe and then the aqua again until I reach the other end! 

 This pattern is called a broken 2/2 t will with 8/4 cotton. 

The Buddha plant is blooming!

So is the dwarf canna lily from my daughter for Mother's Day many years ago and it has bloomed every year since!

The plumeria is growing its flower!  I hope I don't miss seeing this...

or the tiger Lily because I am on my way to Syracuse, NewYork, to see my parents!  Bill is staying home to keep the home fire burning and take care of the cats!  I don't adore travel but that's the only way to get to see my northern family!

  I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

 

A PLAN B BOWL!

So the beautiful knobs and knots on the tree were 'freed' from the bowl when I began hollowing out the center.  I was so disheartened.  It took me a few days to get back to the project.

The bowl is pretty on its own

 even if my original goal was a bit skewed.

I love the grain and the smoothness of the wood. 

 I was able to keep the bark on the top rim,

 (called live edge) and the oval of the bowl is unusual.

The new bowl now holds my green rocks 

which go with my new woven table runner. 

 Sometimes you just have to get used to a new idea 

for it to be appreciated!  

The bowl is 12" long and 7" wide, oak.

SOCKS ON SUNDAY

 

Shorty socks sure go fast!  I thought I was going to save this for my travel sock when I head north to visit my parents but instead I found myself flying through the whole sock and then some!

 (these are for you, Mom!)

It's a good thing I have some more yarn

 to take on the flight next week! lol

Happy Mother's Day!!!! 

WORKING A BIT

A new warp is happening!  I am using some leftovers from the previous cottons with the addition of grey in 8/4 cotton.

I could only fit half on the winding board at a time.

But I made sure I made sure to label each half

 so I would know which goes where on the loom! 

Soon I would be eating green beans 

and summer squash from the veg beds!

We will be trimming some Swiss chard for dinner today!

 

FINDING THE RIGHT LOOK

 I had to move more than one to correct the layout to get the look I wanted--but I found it!

Alas, I didn't stitch any blocks together.  I played at the lathe and had a few disasters which I hope I worked out.  The temps were way too high outside so I got overheated and grouchy.  

I came inside to cool down and ended up knitting instead.  

There is always another day.  

PLAYING WITH BLOCKS!

Both tops for the QuiltsforKids are finished now!  A good, fun mix.  I will load them right up to quilt them and get them sent back to be given to a child at the hospital!

And then I played with the HST blocks--I see in the picture I need to change the one blocks where I tradition from the center 'square' to the outer dark rings....NOTE TO SELF--change this BEFORE you sew them together!!!!!  I sure had fun arranging the blocks on the design wall and trying different arrangements!  

I'm going to savor today because I have commitments for the next three days.  I am hoping to have the finishing touches on my newest plan ready so I can begin a new warp for the loom!

 

QUILTS FOR KIDS . ORG

I almost finished the girls' kit at quilting group yesterday. 

 Isn't it sweet?  The fabrics coordinate so nicely, 

even if I am not a dog person!

The boys' kit is all about Elmo!  I should have them both done today and in the quilting queue!

It's nice to have a simple quilt to whip up 

and know it is going for a good cause!

 

EPIDENDRUM

The view outside my studio patio doors--the very large area of epidendrum!

In common flower vernacular, it is a ground orchid. 

 The slightest breeze causes all of the orange heads sway in a riot of color.  This has been growing for 16 years-all from one snip from a friend's plant.

 

YOU NEVER KNOW

Out for a drive yesterday, we could see smoke off to our left and so decided to be adventurous and investigate.  

Within minutes of our discovery, the first of many vehicles arrived!

The flames and darkened smoke grew! 

 It was our county landfill!  It was an interesting diversion!

At home, I have some exciting blooms!  The dahlia survived the winter and the bulb wasn't devoured by critters!  And there are so many buds, I will have flowers for weeks to come!

 

CLOSE TO YOU!

The Close to You Shawl is blocked -- it's 66" wide by 48" high.  I love how the fabric becomes so drapery and fluid!!!

I will be wearing it to church today!

 

TO LACE!

 One shawl off the needles and ready for the blocking table! 

 I love to see the amazing transformation

 from loosey-goosey knitting to delicate laciness! 

 I will post the finish tomorrow!

In the meantime, I am picking up to other forgotten project

 and knitting away on that one!

SOME FINISHES!

The last 6 NICU incubator covers are finished!!!  I knuckled down and made sure I could stack them in the 'done' pile!  They are ready to join the other 8 and get turned in to the coordinator who requested them!

 I have the top done for the table runner!  I must say, the instructions required a ton of corrections in the size of not one but several blocks!  Unfortunately, you don't realize this until your try getting them to 'fit'!  It's alright now, the runner is done and I don't know that I will make a ton more!

CELEBRATION TIME

The new table runner won over my attention

 in the studio yesterday!

Then we left for a late lunch for our favorite restaurant,

 Corky Bell's, on the St. Johns River.

Our time together was perfection. 

 48 years married is a long time but a very good journey!

 

HAPPY MAY DAY!

Bill and I are celebrating our 48th anniversary today!  

We are going to lunch at Corky Bell's on the St Johns River.

I decided to work on the 25"  NICU incubator covers once again! 

 I am going to finish up 3 more before we head out

and then I will have a pile of a dozen to turn in.

I also trimmed up these 9 blocks I was given 

and will turn them into a table runner.

And this is what I bought on our last trip for the Shop Hop; 

 I will make a table runner and not a wall hanging which will be half of this pattern.  I will do this sooner rather than later.  

But first, the NICU covers!!!!!