Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Yarn Along!

Yarn Along!!


This may sound silly but keeping up with Ginny's yarn along helps me keep up with the knitting and reading that is always on my list of wants to do!
I'm still reading the same books, there has not been much time for reading in the last couple weeks. But I have gotten a bit of knitting in, I whipped up this little hat from the last Taproot magazine for miss Leili. It was a good pattern I will do again. 
And I'm still knitting on this scarf/shawl that I'm still not completely sold on, but I still feel compelled to continue. Maybe it will surprise me at the end or....
It has finally started raining and now we have a winter weather advisory for tomorrow so maybe I'll get a little knitting or reading in. We need it, are praying for it, and will be fasting for it this Sunday, moisture that is. We need lots of moisture. 
Happy Wednesday!

Monday, January 27, 2014

Derby!

In our family we LOVE Derby Day! It is a big event on our calendar and so it has been for years now.  We have built 8 cars and competed in 9 races (one year Riley got to go on to compete in the district race). 

Jake had the same excitement and sadness Riley experienced in his last race. Jake was ready to race and take on the competition! He named his car Whiplash!
His hard work and building paid off! He won every heat and so he won first place! What a way to go out! He also received an award for "Sleekist Car". 
Mostly I think others are just glad our family will not be competing next year, but we are all bummed. Maybe we will have to find a way...


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Walking






It's January, in the Great Basin, at the foot of the Sierra Nevadas. We should not be walking everyday in sweaters and hats but it is beautiful  and wonderful. This is just out our front door, literally! I grew up by the sea, my dad and grandpa were sailors. But these mountains, this dessert, that river. I love it here. 
But please could we get back to winter, we REALLY need the moisture, and it would be great if all the fruit was not killed this year by late snow.  
It's that time of the day again and so we are off out the door!
Have a great day!

Friday, January 17, 2014

Yarn Along



Joining Ginny! I finished the gnome hat and sweater for Scarlett and have it all packaged up to mail today! It is easy to wip up all this knitting when you have a hubby doing all the driving on a road trip!
I started a new shawl/scarf out of this dreamy Plymouth merino! I am a little concerned that the yarn is a bit too bulky to show off the open work of the pattern but I'm going to wait a bit longer to decide to frog or not...
I am continuing reading The Monkey's Voyage but also threw in for something a little lighter Free-Range Knitting thanks to Lisa!! It's hysterical! 

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Yarn a Long


Joining with Ginny again today!
I finished the gnome hat for Scarlett and have dived into the little vest/cardigan to go with it. Same yarn, using the "in threes" pattern in 0-6 mo. size.
I have started a new book this week, 

The Monkey's Voyage: How Improbable Journeys Shaped the History of Life. It just came out yesterday and was written by a friend's husband. Commentary to come!

Saturday, January 04, 2014

Creative Time!


This is my current place for most of my creativity, it is an old desk I found garage sale-ing with my mom and sister, its in my bedroom, it faces the backyard, and it is basked in the most glorious sunlight most of the day during the winter. My other creative place, my sewing area is in the far north end of the house and looks out to the front yard. Its cold too (partly due to the fact that as we discovered recently there is no insulation in that part of the ceiling)! So sewing has not seen too much action lately.



So creative time! I decided this year that instead of buying a pocket calendar that did not meet my needs or was even remotely me that I would MAKE one! Crazy I know but even crazier is that I am not alone!!! There are a lot of other creative people out there doing the same crazy thing. Like this AWESOME gal! So I looked and researched and thought about what I would want exactly and then I went to work. First came the collaged cover with lots of meditative layering of modge-podge. Then how to organize the actual calendar part. I did not want a week by week, so I did months with enough space to write. Each month is blank so that I can fill in a couple at a time in whatever color or fashion I want. And spaces for notes, because I do that a lot and I did not want to fill in the margins with too many notes. I then  braved the cold north of the house and sewed a simple line down the center as a binding, easy as pie! Making time for a little creativity feeds my soul and soothes my spirit. Even better when I get to enjoy my creativity with something useful and used.
And so yes I now have 4 calendars (3 wall & one pocket), maybe I'll be on top of our activities more....or maybe not, I already forgot about a meeting this morning and ended up late! Oops!! 
Happy New Year!

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

Yarn Along

Happy 2014!! 
Did you get your new calendar up? I got two (out of three) up. 
My goal was to finish My Life in France before the new year and I did just before I drifted off to sleep and missed all the hoopla at midnight. ;) 
Joining Ginny again today! 
So today I am starting Wild by Cheryl Strayed, it's been on my shelf waiting since my birthday in July. I am excited to read about a trail on this side of the country! I've read a couple on the Appilacian trail (some day I'll do part (or all) of it), but maybe I could do part of this trail sooner (since I live closer to it)! Sunday I cast off on Fern's hat and she has been happily wearing it since. Then after a New Year's Eve trip to Jimmy Beans I started in on a new baby gnome hat and vest for a good childhood friend whose daughter is due to make her entrance this month. These are my least favorite needles (given to me) but most used needles as they are the size I use for these baby hats. Maybe someday I'll sit on them (and the twin pair I have too) and then I'll buy a wooden set of size 7 needles. One can hope! ;)