Photo Essay 1

Not much text, just photos from my trip in Florida. Great weather, close to 80 on several days. I had to buy a short sleeve shirt and I wish I had taken a pair of shorts.

This is a shrub in the kids backyard. Maybe called angel trumpets.

The development has paths through the entire complex. Our favorite walk is to a small pond in the middle of a small park. These large leaf plants are along some of the streams along the path.

Growing along the path are the perfect flowers for the Christmas holiday.

The kids have several roses growing by their back door. Perfect spot. They take no care of them at all, just cut the flowers.

This is Kaia working on her present for Mom. It is a fabric picture frame to hang on the fridge.

More photos to come.

I'm leaving tommorrow...

so this my last chance to for a week to wish everyone

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

I'm going to Florida for the holiday and to visit with the family there.

Knitting for Christmas

One last gift to be completed before Christmas. It is a pair of convertible mittens for Dad. One is finished, the second needs the rest of its fingers and the cap. I found this pattern on Ravelry, looked through 6 pages before I found one in the correct gauge for the yarn I had. It has a cable twist between fingers that closes the area very well. I think that I will knit a second pair using finer yarn for Hubby next.

This mini quilt was my entry for the Quilt Guild challenge this year. We had to use the striped fabric in the quilt. The hummers were pieced using templates, while the border flowers were paper pieced using a method by Carol Doak. Really easy with no wasted fabric. It won the third place ribbon.

The log cabin variation quilt is one of two I'm working on for a friend. They have the same fabric, the only difference is the color arrangement in the borders. The second one needs to be quilted. One is going to Washington state as a wedding gift. The other is going to Bulgaria as a gift for her mother.

Finally, another baby picture of Tyler in Gummy's arms.

Baby pix

Kaia and stork announcing Tyler's arrival

Tyler in Mommy's arms

No photos

Because I forgot the camera's dock. But I'm here in sunny Fl. to visit the family. Tyler is doing very well. He seems a happy baby, eats good. Kaia is a big help and she gives lots of kisses. I am heading home tonight, back to the cold and a little snow. I finished one pair of socks, and will finish a second pair today.

It's a boy!!

Grandson Tyler arrived yesterday morning. 7lbs, 3 oz, 20''

Big sister Kaia with Tyler

Vest update

I have been working very hard on the vest. It will fit around now and I've begun to work on the first shoulder. I am planning to wear it to a knitting guild Christmas party next week. But if not by then, I wear it on vacation.

Sunday, we went to the Philadelphia Art Museum to view the Gees Bend Quilt exhibit. Great exhibit, it went on and on. Around each corner, was another group of outstanding quilts. Perhaps, I'll try a small quilt using one of their favorite blocks. Hubby kept saying, "But, they are not straight. Yours are always straight." Nice he noticed. But that is part of their charm. There was a great bright blue and red quilt, perhaps I'll use this for inspiration.

Terrible photo from an illustration of one of their favorite blocks.
The Art Museum is under construction, but is decorated for the holidays. Terrible weather, lots of rain and fog, but warm. Horrible driving conditions.

Happy Thanksgiving

What am I thankful this year? 1.I am feeling much better from the fall. I can return to the gym on Monday. 2.We had a very nice Thanksgiving dinner, just my husband, parents, sister and niece. We spent most of the time just visiting. We don't get to see Theresa very often. I always enjoy her sense of humor. 3. Talked to the kids, everyone is fine. The new baby is due in one week, but has dropped so maybe sooner. AND 4. I received my invite to join Ravelry. Hurray. Now I need to find time to enter all the stuff and show my current work.

It can't be true

What an unhappy surprise this morning. It is too early in the season for this much snow. The weather forecast was wrong again. They said snowflakes for this area. Snowfall was about one inch.

So what is next- A 14 foot Christmas tree in the museum lobby at 10:00 am this morning. Always fun. On well, in one month I will be in Florida. You might think that it would be great, but their temp has been around freezing too.

I Had a Ball

--and I made this necklace at Stitches. They are wooden beads wrapped in knitted covers. Four had glass beads added. They were then threaded on the same yarn. Very easy to do, only 5 or 6 stitches and about 15 rows over this size wooden bead. Sew together over the bead, using either a running stitch or kitchener stitch. Secure the ends and you are completed.

I saw many vests on the market floor, so I decided to make my own. I found this cotton yarn in my stash. Actually, it was for a sweater for Kaia, but she grew out of it before I got it done. The pattern is based on the Sock yarn Blankie. I am working on 21 stitches, using #5 needles. No real pattern for the vest itself, but it will be pretty easy to shape.

Stitches Weekend

Stitches was great, but tiring. Had a wonderful time, saw some friends, bought too much yarn and learned a lot. This a view of Camden Yards from the the Convention Center. I was thinking of the Hubby.

The Gateway to Heaven and Paradise for a knitter or other yarn person.

Next post will have info about classes and projects.

I'm going to Stitches...

I'm going to Stitches early tomorrow morning. Britknitter is picking my up "not before 8:00 A.M.", then off we go in her "green" car. We hope to arrive at 10:00, so we can hit the market before our first class. Staying over night, then a class in the morning, and more shopping. YARN, YARN and More YARN. Can't Wait.
Thanks Britknitter for driving, carrying my luggage and all the other help I will need for the trip. This is my first adventure since breaking my ribs in a fall almost three weeks ago.

Still can't wait, I hope I can sleep. Oh, wait, I still have some happy pills from the fall. Sweet Dreams to me. Good night.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Sorry

I don't know what happened, but I lost the text for the photos, twice. On Saturday, A small wotkshop was at my house. We painted preknitted panels, then steamed them to set the dye. Lots of time to visit while we waited. Big thanks to Britknitter for all her help.

Sorry

I don't know what I did wrong on the last post but I lost most to the text. It was description of the photos. I had a a small workshop. We painted preknitted panels for socks, then steamed them to set the dye. Lots of time to visit. Big thanks to Britknitter for all her help.

The are people out there..

they came to me.

Fabrics and Friends

Earlier this week I took a bus trip to Lancaster Co. Pa. with my quilt guild to buy fabric, fabric and more fabric. Of course, I bought more then I intended to and a few things that were not on my list. Day trip like this a a good way to become closer to other members. At a meeting we are so busy that we don't get a chance to visit with those that are across the room. I had lunch with several of those members, and dinner with two others. I did take a break at the second fabric store to take a quick walk down the road to a small stream. There I watched the ducks and enjoyed the sunshine.
On the way home we stopped to watch a hot air balloon take off. It took off very close to a farm.


We were all concerned that they would not make it over the farm buildings.
Up, up and away. They made it over the house and then continued across the road and over the fields. It reminded me of the time I had a balloon ride myself. The ride was my 40th birthday present. Took off late September, to crisp blue sky, browning corn fields and early autumn leaves. It was over too quickly.

Clearing the Way

EARLY yesterday we took the kayaks out for the last time of the season. The day before the weather was quite warm but over night it had gotten cool, about 50 degrees. I dressed in my new birthday jacket, which matches my kayak, gloves and ear muffs. It was quite steamy also. As the sun heated the water, mist rose from the water. We cleared a path through the mist as we paddled and it floated back behind us, to create an strange feeling. Nothing was moving for quite a while besides us.Sleepy heads. Even after the sun started to break through, the swans remained curled in sleep.

Unhappily, we did disturb several herons, ducks and geese.
Even as we were preparing to leave about 2 hours later, it was still steamy, but fall color was visible in the leaves.

By afternoon the kayaks were stored in the crawlspace in the basement. No more quiet boat rides until spring. I'm not ready for winter.

ABC Baby Blanket

I have been working on this blanket for several months. I borrowed the pattern from Brit Knitter and I think that it is by Debbie Bliss. I started in mid July. I had completed the first row of letters and then decided that the guage was not correct. So, ripped it out and started over with smaller needles. That was the end of July. This photo shows it as of early September about 2/3s completed.Second photo is of finished blanket, taken late September. Two and a half months to complete a single item is a long time, however, it is for my new grandbaby. He is due early December.

Last Rose of Summer

Vacation in Cape May

Tom and I spent the last week in Cape May to celebrate our anniversary. We went for many walks on the beach and watched the sun set every evening from our chairs on the beach. It was beautiful weather, pleasant temperatures and lots of wind.One night we took a trolley tour featuring ghosts of Cape May. Sorry no photos, it was too dark to clearly see any of the spooks.

We went to Smithville for lunch on Monday. We had a nice lunch. Had to wait for the goose parade to pass, before we could continue to shop. They were on their way to lunch also.

It is hard to tell how hard the wind was blowing, but this is photo of the bay which is normally has waves just rolling to the beach. This is where I found several pieces of sea glass, including a very small piece of red glass.

This last photo shows the only swimmer that braved the wind at the pool. Took the same dive several times. I also had time to complete a pair of socks and made several squares for my next quilt.

We had a great time and made plans to go again next year.

Kitty, Kitty & Kitty

Three little kittens have appeared in our yard.
Oh what to do?
To catch them is to hard.
We don't want them to stay,
But we feel really blue.

We're afraid to feed them,
We're afraid to give them water,
But they sit at the door
And stare in and cry.
We are going on vacation on Friday
So we can't starting feeding them now.

The little guy on the step, has started to follow Tom out to the garden.

So if he is still here when we get back

Maybe he will move inside

Saturday evening kayaks

We took the kayaks out Parvin State Park Saturday evening. In the middle of the lake I saw a dead fish floating by and I almost picked it up, to show Tom what I caught. But I thought better of it and let it go past. Seconds later, I heard splashing behind me. I turned and saw a bald eagle fighting a seagull for the fish. The seagull lost and the eagle flew to a tree on the other side of the lake. I uess he ate it in the tree. It was quite a thrilling sight. It has been rumored that a pair of bald eagles were nesting near the lake. I had seen them from a distance one other time, but never as close as Saturday night. I'm Glad they have returned to the area. I hope they remain. It was quite a site. It all happened so fast that I was not able to get a photo.The swans are a less wild and let you get quite close. Although they do hiss at you if you get too close.

Tom took his fishing pole, but realized when he got on the lake that he forgot his license. However he did catch a red plaid shirt (the one he was wearing) with one of his fishing lores, hooked it in the back and it gave quite a fight, embedding the hooks quite deeply. So in the middle of the lake I had to cut out the hooks, to permit him to paddle himself to shore. Not quite a fish, but something pretty big, about 175 lbs. Top that britknitter's sister.

One block wonder

I recently completed this quilt. It is called a one block wonder. You need a print that has a 24" repeat, then cut it into 6 strips, layer each, then cut into squares. Those squares are then cut into 6 triangles, and resew into a 6 sided block. Lay out in a pleasing pattern then sew together. I used a piece of uncut fabric for the back. I also made a pair of matching pillow cases.