Friday, January 29, 2016

Eye Candy Friday...

...yes, I'm still here!  Our office move sucked up most of my energy for the last couple of weeks. Once I got home, all I wanted to do was sleep!

One of the things that happened in the last week is that the Husband and I celebrated (and I use that term loosely) our 30th wedding anniversary on Monday. Monday was moving day...right.

We got married on the anniversary of our first date, the pivotal date where I started looking at him as for than a friend. It was also the first date where we took my daughter with us. She was almost 3 years old. January 25th is "our" anniversary--for all three of us.

The Daughter sent flowers:

Anniversary bouquet

and a calla lily in the bouquet:

Purple Calla Lily

The Husband bought some flowers to plant in the garden. These are bleeding hearts:

Bleeding Heart

Red anemone:

Red anemone

and blue anemone:

Blue anemone flowers

Up this weekend: I need to catch up on some sleep. Then do some of the housework that has fallen by the wayside in the last couple of weeks.

After that, crafts would be good.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2016

And the contest winner is...

...Spinnity!


Congratulations!  Let's chat about when to receive your prize.

Thanks to all who commented! You're the best!
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Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Blogiversary Contest - Last Call!!

I extended the entry deadline by a day because I forgot to send out a reminder.

You have until midnight tonight, 1/19/16 to enter the contest.

To enter, comment on my 1/5/16 post by Midnight PST, Monday 1/18/16.

The prize is 1 skein of BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Wavelength.

I'll draw and post the winner tomorrow, 1/20/16.

Good luck! 
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2015 End of the Year Recap...

...fewer spinning and knitting projects, but more quilting and stitching projects. I read fewer books, but many were huge!

(If you are not on Ravelry, you can see pictures of these items in my Flickr photostream and sets: Knitting, Spinning, Quilting/Sewing, Needlework, and Weaving. )


Finished:
Christmas Baking, etc.
  1. Bark and fudge: 12 pounds
  2. Biscotti: 666
  3. Breads and fruitcakes: 26 mini-loaves and 14 medium loaves
  4. Cookies: 772
  5. Spicy nuts: 2 pounds
  6. Sugared nuts: 10.75 pounds
Knitting
  1. Beaded Knitting Sampler
  2. Beyond Antares
  3. Blue No-Noro Hat for Halos of Hope
  4. Gray Ribbed Hat
  5. Irisa Cowl/Scarf (knitting for Loopy Academy)
  6. Parritch Bonnet
  7. Serpiente
  8. Snow Queen Hat
Stitching
  1. Backstitching on some nearly completed ornaments (cross stitch)
  2. Ghouls, ghosts, and witches...oh, my! (cross stitch)
  3. Happy Wishes scissor fob (cross stitch)
  4. Sail (cross stitch)
  5. Santa Fe #5 (needlepoint)
  6. Scaredy Sheep scissor fob (cross stitch)
  7. Sheep Scissor Companion (cross stitch)
  8. Shepherd's Bush Christmas Ornament from Just CrossStitch ornament Issue 2004 (cross stitch)
  9. Summer 9-Patch (cross stitch)
  10. Sweet Summer (cross stitch)
Quilting/Sewing/Beading/Other
  1. ...And Your Little Dog, Too doggie pillow (quilting and sewing)
    AKA Stealth Commission project #2
  2. Additional Christmas stockings for Jane (sewing)
  3. Going Snow Global quilt (quilting)
  4. I'm Just Mad About Citron quilt (quilting)
  5. The Hawaiian Shirt Off Your Back quilt (quilting)
    AKA Stealth Commission project
Reading
  • Read 86 books (list at the end of the post)
Spinning
  1. Clear Skies from the Yarn Wench; 55.8 yds, auto-plied with rayon thread; bulky
  2. Crazy Turquoise handspun from Faerie Mountain; 87.5 yds, worsted weight
  3. Drake's Bay handspun from Royale Hare; 168.4 yds. chain ply, 13 WPI
  4. Faerie Purple handspun from Faerie Mountain; 117.25 yds. 2-ply, 14 WPI
  5. Goat Rock handspun from Royale Hare; 204.7 yds., 12 WPI
  6. Gradient Violet handspun from the Yarn Wench; 102.4 yds, chain-plied; 10 WPI
  7. Gypsy handspun from the Yarn Wench; 48.4 yards auto-plied with copper thread, 7 WPI
  8. Halloween Phat Fiber samples from multiple vendors; singles, two-ply, and chain plied, worsted weight
  9. Lemon Lime handspun from Faerie Mountain; 139.6 yds, thread-plied with green and yellow threads; 10 WPI
  10. Lilac handspun from Miss Babs; 124.5 yards, 13 WPI
  11. Mermaid Bling art yarn from the Yarn Wench; 106.1 yards thread-plied plus 4.5 yards beaded; bulky weight
  12. Meteor Shower handspun from Greenwood Fiberworks; 268 yds. chain-ply, 15 WPI
  13. Rust Verde handspun from the Yarn Wench; 24.2 yds, thread-plied with copper poly threads; bulky weight
  14. Sochi handspun from Greenwood Fiberworks; 176.8 yds, 14 WPI
  15. Sunrise handspun from the Yarn Wench; 104.2 yds, thread-plied with copper and gold threads; bulky weight
  16. Walking on the Sun handspun from Dragonfly Fibers; 204.7 yds chain-ply, 13 WPI
  17. Wild Nile handspun from the Yarn Wench; 215.9 yds, plied with rayon thread and green sequins; 12 WPI
  18. Wild Shell handspun from the Yarn Wench; 95 yds, thread-plied with metallic silver thread; 9 WPI
  19. Wild Turquoise handspun from the Yarn Wench; 188 yds auto-plied with turquoise thread, 10 WPI
Weaving
  1. Dreams of Amethyst shawl
IDJ (It's Dead, Jim):
  • Reading: So, Anyway by John Cleese
Works in Progress:
  1. Be My Baby for My Baby (knitting) [Ravelry]
  2. Calypso handspun (spinning) [Ravelry]
  3. Canto de Sirena shawl (knitting) [Ravelry]
  4. Empress handspun [Ravelry]

UFOs:
  1. Celaeno Shawl (knitting) [Ravelry]
  2. Mermaid of the Pearls (cross stitch)
  3. Peacock Pomatomus socks (knitting) [Ravelry]
  4. Peacock Majesty by Just Nan (cross stitch)
  5. Tucson Twilight (needlepoint)

Reading (Too long to put under Finished):

  1. 1st to Die, James Patterson
  2. 2nd Chance, James Patterson
  3. 3rd Degree, James Patterson
  4. 4th of July, James Patterson
  5. 5th Horseman, James Patterson
  6. 6th Target, James Patterson
  7. 7th Heaven, James Patterson
  8. 8th Confession, James Patterson
  9. 9th Judgment, James Patterson
  10. 10th Anniversary, James Patterson
  11. 11th Hour, James Patterson
  12. 12th of Never, James Patterson
  13. Unlucky 13, James Patterson
  14. 14th Deadly Sin, James Patterson
  15. After I'm Gone, Laura Lippman
  16. After Midnight, Teresa Madeiros
  17. Archangel's Enigma, Nalini Singh
  18. Baltimore Blues, Laura Lippman
  19. Billy Joel, Fred Schruers
  20. Blackberry Pie Murder, Joanne Fluke
  21. Breakwater, Shannon Mayer
  22. Burn For Me, Ilona Andrews
  23. Candy Cane Murder, Joanne Fluke
  24. Choose Your Own Biography, Neil Patrick Harris
  25. Dark Debt, Chloe Neill
  26. Dark Fae, Shannon Mayer
  27. Dark Heir, Faith Hunter
  28. Darned If You Do, Monica Ferris
  29. Daughter of Sand and Stone, Libbie Hawker
  30. Dead Heat, Patricia Briggs
  31. Devoted in Death, JD Robb
  32. Die Again, Tess Gerritsen
  33. Dragonfly in Amber, Diana Gabaldon
  34. Drums of Autumn, Diana Gabaldon
  35. Eyes Only, Fern Michaels
  36. Fiery Cross, Diana Gabaldon
  37. Firestorm, Shannon Mayer
  38. Infinity Lost, S. Harrison,
  39. Last One Home, Debbie Macomber
  40. Love Letters: A Rose Harbor Novel, Debbie Macomber
  41. Maeve's Times, Maeve Binchy
  42. Magic Shifts, Ilona Andrews
  43. Mending Heartstrings, Aria Glazki
  44. Moonstone Beach, Linda Seed
  45. NYPD Red 3, James Patterson
  46. Obsession in Death, JD Robb
  47. Pale Queen Rising, AR Kahler
  48. Paradise of Glass, Petra Durst-Benning
  49. Playing with Fire, Tess Gerritsen
  50. Prey, Linda Howard
  51. Prince Lestat, Anne Rice
  52. Purl Up and Die, Maggie Sefton
  53. Raintree: Haunted, Linda Winstead Jones
  54. Raintree: Inferno, Linda Howard
  55. Rebel Queen, Michelle Moran
  56. Recurve, Shannon Mayer
  57. Red-Rose Chain, Seanan McGuire
  58. Rising Darkness, Shannon Mayer
  59. Shadowstorm, Skye Knizley
  60. Sisters of Heart and Snow, Margaret Dilloway
  61. Small Magics, Ilona Andrews
  62. Spider's Trap, Jennifer Estep
  63. Stars of Fortune, Nora Roberts
  64. Stormrage, Skye Knizley
  65. Stormrise, Skye Knizley
  66. The 19th Wife, David Ebershoff
  67. The American Lady, Petra Durst-Benning
  68. The Astronaut Wives Club, Lily Koppel
  69. The Book of Unknown Americans, Cristina Henriquez
  70. The Drafter, Kim Harrison
  71. The Glassblower, Petra Durst-Benning
  72. The Line, JD Horn
  73. The Murder House, James Patterson
  74. The Royal We, Heather Cocks
  75. The Source, JD Horn
  76. The Veil, Chloe Neill
  77. The Void, JD Horn
  78. The Witch's Daughter, Laken Cane
  79. Vengeance of the Demon, Diana Rowland
  80. Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography, Victoria Price
  81. Voyager, Diana Gabaldon
  82. Whiskey Beach, Nora Roberts
  83. White Trash Zombie Gone Wild, Diana Rowland
  84. Wishes for Christmas, Fern Michaels
  85. Wonderful Tonight, Pattie Boyd
  86. Wormwood Echoes, Laken Cane

Friday, January 15, 2016

Another Eye Candy Friday and a contest reminder...

...and again I have missed my regular postings. Sagh.  This office move combined with client work and normal HR tasks that I need to perform has me spinning in circles.

Today, the only eye candy I can offer you are oranges:

Oranges

and a weird-looking cactus:

Cactus

Up this weekend: Who knows....maybe some sleep. Maybe some crafts. Maybe a year-end recap.

Contest!

To enter, comment on my 1/5/16 post by Midnight PST, Monday 1/18/16.

The prize is 1 skein of BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Wavelength. I'll do the random number thing and post the winner on Wednesday, 1/20/16. Good luck! 
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Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Top-of-the-Waves Tuesday, Contest reminder...

...and the weekend report.
  • Spin-In was great! It was wonderful to start a new spin and chat with the other spinners. I took some of the remaining Christmas cookies as my contribution.
  • As I mentioned in a previous post, I really hated the linen stitch on the Be My Baby for My Baby [Ravelry] project. One of my friends, recommended trying another stitch at the end of what I currently have to see whether I liked it better. I knit a few rows of garter stitch and was immediately happy with the way the fabric felt and the way it draped.

    After thinking about it overnight, I pulled out the 23 inches I had already knit, back to the lifeline at the end of the sleeve stitching. I then restarted the scarf portion in garter stitch using the same size 17 needles. By the end of Sunday, I had knit 12 inches of garter stitch. By the end of Monday night's Craft Coffee session, I was at 19 inches, almost back to where I was! And I'm happy with it...hooray!
  • I delivered the last goodie bag today. I have one more to mail and I can call a close to Christmas baking.
  • I  still feel the need to weave, but I have no idea what to weave. Still need to think on that.
  • I actually knit a row on Canto de Sirena shawl [Ravelry]. Each row is 362 stitches, so this one could take a while!
  • I still don't have any photos of Calypso.
  • I completely forgot to take photos of the last Rocking Sock Club installment.
  • And I still haven't compiled the data for my 2015 recap. I'll get there eventually!

Contest!

To enter, comment on my 1/5/16 post by Midnight PST, Monday 1/18/16.

The prize is 1 skein of BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Wavelength. I'll do the random number thing and post the winner on Wednesday, 1/20/16. Good luck!

Saturday, January 09, 2016

December 2015 recap...

...I actually finished something other than baking!

Finished:
  • 12/26 Going Snow Global quilt (quilting)
  • 12/20 Snow Queen Hat (knitting) [Ravelry]
  • 12/24 Gray Ribbed Hat (knitting) [Ravelry]
  • Christmas baking:
    • Bark and fudge: 12 pounds
    • Biscotti: 666
    • Breads and fruitcakes: 26 mini-loaves and 14 medium loaves 
    • Cookies: 772
    • Spicy nuts: 2 pounds
    • Sugared nuts: 10.75 pounds
  • Books:
    1. Shadowstorm, Skye Knizley
    2. Stormrage, Skye Knizley
    3. Stormrise, Skye Knizley
    4. Stars of Fortune, Nora Roberts
    5. Raintree: Haunted, Linda Winstead Jones
    6. The Royal We, Heather Cocks
Started:
  • 12/17 Gray Ribbed Hat (knitting) [Ravelry]
  • 12/20 Snow Queen Hat (knitting) [Ravelry]
Worked on:
  • Be My Baby for My Baby (knitting) [Ravelry]
  • Calypso handspun (spinning) [Ravelry]
Works In Progress, did not work on:
  • Canto de Sirena shawl (knitting) [Ravelry]
  • Empress handspun [Ravelry]
UFOs/Hibernation:
  1. Celaeno Shawl (knitting) [Ravelry]
  2. Mermaid of the Pearls (cross stitch)
  3. Peacock Pomatomus socks (knitting) [Ravelry]
  4. Peacock Majesty by Just Nan (cross stitch)
  5. Tucson Twilight (needlepoint)
WIPs To Be:
  • A peacock or mermaid quilt for me.

Friday, January 08, 2016

Eye Candy Friday...

...blog and run.

This is pink knotweed, a ground cover growing in our courtyard.

Pink Knotweed, another view

Don't forget to enter my contest!

To enter, comment on my 1/5/16 post by Midnight PST, Monday 1/18/16.

The prize is 1 skein of BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Wavelength. I'll do the random number thing and post the winner on Wednesday, 1/20/16. Good luck!

Up this weekend: Spin-In tomorrow...yay!

That is all...
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Wednesday, January 06, 2016

WIP-it Wednesday...

...after completing a couple of WIPs, I'm back to the long-sufferingstanding WIPs.

HI haven't shown a photo of the Be My Baby [Ravelry] project in a while.

Be My Baby scarf-shrug, as of 1/6/2016

I am working on the scarf portion of the piece. It's 67 inches of linen stitch. And you can add linen stitch to the list of things I hate to knit!

If I wasn't 23 inches into this, I'd rip back to my lifeline and start this again in garter stitch. I think it would drape better and it certainly would knit up faster!

I forgot to mention that I finished spinning Calypso [Ravelry]. No photos yet.

Contest!

We have some entries in my Blogiversary contest. Yay!

To enter, comment on my 1/5/16 post by Midnight PST, Monday 1/18/16.

The prize is 1 skein of BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Wavelength. I'll do the random number thing and post the winner on Wednesday, 1/20/16. Good luck!


**WIP Roll Call**

Worked on:
  • Be My Baby for My Baby (knitting) [Ravelry]
Works In Progress, did not work on:
  1. Canto de Sirena shawl (knitting) [Ravelry]
  2. Empress handspun [Ravelry]
  3. Mermaid of the Pearls (cross stitch)
UFOs/Hibernation:
  1. Celaeno Shawl (knitting) [Ravelry]
  2. Peacock Pomatomus socks (knitting) [Ravelry]
  3. Peacock Majesty by Just Nan (cross stitch)\
  4. Tuscon Twilight (needlepoint)
WIPs To Be:
  • A peacock or mermaid quilt for me.

Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Happy 10th Blogiversary to me...

...can you believe it?

I started this blog January 5, 2006 as a way to track my projects. I also wanted to share my projects with friends and anyone else who might be interested. Getting large numbers of followers was never my goal.

The blog is a great way to gauge how a particular project is progressing, and it's fun to finally show a completed project. It's also my journal of how things are going with me and mine, at least in a general way.

In the last year, I've thought about moving the blog to my website (http://solarbrations.com/) and started to research how to do that. Obviously, I didn't get very far. For now, I'm leaving it here. I might move it later.

So, how about a contest for my 10th Blogiversary?

Leave a comment on this post by Midnight PST, Monday 1/18/16.

(No, multiple comments will not give you multiple entries!)

I'll do the random number thing and post the winner on Wednesday, 1/20/16.

The prize is 1 skein of BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Wavelength:

Wavelength Socks That Rock

This yarn was in the May 2012 Rockin' Sock Club installment from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. The mini-skein and club patterns are not included in the prize.

Good luck!

(Recap posts will be coming soon!)
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Monday, January 04, 2016

Hello 2016...

...a little late for a first post of the year and I totally missed the first Eye Candy Friday. Obviously, I'm still not in the swing of things. Now that I'm back to work, there's a small chance that things will get back to normal!

To make up for missing Eye Candy Friday, here is a photo of the Australian finger limes that we are growing on the back yard:

Australian Finger Limes, another view

The inside of the limes have caviar-like vesicles:

Australian Finger Lime juice vesicles

If you put them in carbonated water, they look really cool floating up and down.

The holidays were busy and I really had trouble getting motivated after Christmas. I never did get my Christmas letter written, much less mail out any Christmas cards. Maybe I'll get some New year cards out...

I hope to post the December recap, followed by the 2015 year-end recap some time this week, depending on how much I need to catch up on from being out 2 weeks.

And tomorrow is my Blogiversary! I started blogging in 2006...10 years ago! Can you believe it? So I'm trying to decide whether to run a Blogiversary contest or not. I'll let you know tomorrow if I do.

10 years...wow.
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Another Finished Object...

 ...yay! I finished the first yarn on my new Lendrum DT. I tried a 2-ply and it turned out OK. Using the plying head was not as smooth...