December in Florida

 We waited the 120 days to pick our bananas!  Did you know they never ripen on the tree;  you have to pick them and then wait for them to lighten in color to eat them?!  The bloom begins right up close to the bananas and then keeps gaining length as  it looses petals.  It is very cool!

 We brought our bunch in to wait for it to ripen!

 Each banana is about 6" long and there are 18 of them.

 Bill had a great idea...

 The Maple trees are getting their color.  We did have one night of freezing temperatures (32F) and that was just enough to trigger the bit of red to the leaves and for the trees to drop their leaves.

 This one has a bit more of the reddish brown foliage.

 The ground is pretty under the tree, too.

 See ALL the color?!

 But overall, the pond lawn doesn't look too different from the rest of the year!

 We do have color for December in the East Palatka Holly trees-the red berries are very festive on this 'always green' tree.

Lots of berries that are ripe just in time for the first Northern Robins to arrive....any day now!

If we do not get too many more freezing temperatures, we will be getting another bunch of bananas in a few months!  (See how close the bloom is to the bananas...the stalk will just keep growing down several feet from the fruit)

Helping Hands

 Goodbye old cabinets!  The musty smell is gone from the house-we found the source of 'that' smell!  Yippee!

 The guys cleaned the floor and then pieced in the new flooring so it will be level for the new cabinets!

 We took an after lunch break and took Will for a walk...he enjoyed his adventure!

Kings on the hill!

 A chilly dip ended our walk!  He loved it until his lips started to look a bit blue!  (The water is at 74F!)

Ashley helped me put up our tree during the morning nap.  The wiring died to the top of the tree...this will be the last year for this one!

During Will's afternoon nap, I introduced Ashley to the joys of sea glass drilling!  She is enthralled as much as I am!

Ready, Set.........Go!

 Monday morning began with the removal of Bill's picc line!

 It came out without a hitch and no pain.........let the activity begin!  It has been a long recovery!  A big thank you to Mary, our home aide nurse for these six weeks!

 I finished the first pair of fingerless mitts with the hand dyed, hand spun gradated yarn in superwash!

This is the big celebration activity-a kitchen renovation!  This is the beginning-new oak cabinets and countertops!  More to follow!

Thanksgiving Gathering

We traveled to Cassandra's family home for the day-Matthew and Ashley joined in, too.  We had a wonderful visit!


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing Look what Will has learned to do!!!

Thanksgiving!

As you gather today to give thanks for all the loved ones around you,  remember Who the Giver of all your blessings is...

Designing and Knitting

 I liked the first mitts I made, the one on the right.  They almost filled the idea that was in my head.  But I tweaked the pattern and yes--This is what I wanted it to look like!  I needed some definition to the point ribbing on the back of the hand.

 And I used the new knitting software I bought and created a pattern for them!  If you would like the pattern for free, just leave me a comment (and email address if it isn't imbedded in your signature) and I will email you the pdf for Pointedly Ribbed Fingerless Mitts!

 I also finished the last of the puppy hats-this one in darker colors to reflect her own dog!

 My FiberBinderClub package got lost in the mail last month but it is finally here along with this month's!

 I hand carded the pygora fiber

and the mohair so they are ready for spinning!

This is what the beautiful sock looks like that I worked on this week!  I got all done and tried it on and it fit perfectly...unfortunately, it is for my daughter and it was not long enough even though the pattern said it was for a larger foot.   I reworked the whole pattern to make it 1" longer and a 1/2" wider so I know it will work when I knit it again!!!  It is all  part of the art!

Zee Finish Line

Zipper stash.

 Zig Zag stitch.

 Zip drive for embroidery stitches.

 Both of these cats have them-so do you........

a beautiful example of Zygomatic bones!

(cheek bones!)

Mitts and Bitts

I designed these mitts-they fit wonderfully!  It is from the Targhee I spun a little while ago .  I had planned to make the Vino mitts from Knitty.com but after several attempts I gave up and happily knit these!  I have enough yarn to make another pair which I will do but I will tweak the point up the back of the hand to make it more prominent.  This designing kick is so much fun-I will share the pattern for these with you in a

days!

 The second skein of Granny Apple Tree yarn is finished!  I want to cast on for a pair of mitts but will probably tackle a pair of socks first.  The socks will be an 'under the radar' project!  

Color Gradations

Here is some more superwash I dyed. 

 I split the roving into four sections this time; two for each skein.  This way I can make matching socks or mitts !  There is 150 yards in this skein.  Go ahead and give it a squeeze!

The Yard Knows

 That it is nearing Christmas even if the weather isn't so clear on the signs!  The poinsettia is beginning to turn red!

The Christmas Cactus is covered with buds-I have two of these plants , one on each side of the front door and they are both covered in buds!

 This is an Okra flower-who knew they produced such beautiful flowers!  The plant is about 5' tall also!

 The Roselle Tea plant is covered in blossoms-they close up every day by 4:00-very cool.

 The Camellias are beginning to open!

 The Turks Cap is covered with flowers-this is the first year that it has produced blooms!  It will grow to a very good sized bush eventually.

 The flowers do not open-this is how they are when mature-they look like a tassel on a fez or a Turk's cap, hence the name!  (They are a type of Hibiscus!)

 The Ti plants are in bloom-isn't this an interesting way to flower?

 I finished a blooming of my own-the boucle cowl done!  I knit this on size 5 needles in the Old Shale pattern; and cast off when I got near the end of the skein-about 10".

 It is very soft and comfortable for a southern cowl!  Just in time to wear for our mild winter!