tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205873512012-01-27T12:44:32.761-08:00mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.comBlogger9851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-43944006090492980242012-01-27T12:44:00.000-08:002012-01-27T12:44:32.777-08:00

...it was too foggy this morning to get decent pictures of anything outside. I did find the Husband's mini-greenhouse. The tomato seedlings are popping up: I'm looking forward to lots of yummy tomatoes in the spring and summer. I realized that I hadn't posted a picture of the January installment of the Proverbial Club from A Verb for Keeping Warm. Here is the Merino-Cashmere fiber in Old

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-64108288802837905962012-01-25T16:12:00.000-08:002012-01-25T16:12:54.465-08:00

...it's a little anti-climatic after our weekend away, but I couldn't let the day escape without mentioning it.  LOL!  We agreed that we didn't need to go out to dinner again tonight, but we might just toast the day. :) WIP-wise, I am madly weaving on the baby shawl I started last week.  I took it to Craft Night last night and wove about 15 inches.  No pictures yet. Over the weekend, I did a

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-75165610889008976502012-01-24T14:14:00.000-08:002012-01-24T14:14:54.530-08:00

...Sunday already seems so long ago. The Husband and I had a great weekend despite the pouring rain on Friday and Sunday. We stayed at the Half Moon Bay Inn in downtown. It's a 15-room inn above a bustling Italian restaurant. The restaurant was a little noisy at times, but their live guitar music was an unexpected bonus. The inn was 2 doors down from Fengari., the yarn store I wanted to visit.

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-36766775300542802082012-01-20T10:42:00.000-08:002012-01-20T10:42:55.149-08:00

...Julie! Congratulations! Your yarn will be wending its way to you within the next week.  Thanks to everyone who commented! On to Eye Candy Friday... Here is an entry in the subcategory "Eye Candy is in the eye of the beholder." My new camera arrived!  Specs: 14.1 mega pixel, 12x optical zoom, macro down to 0.4 inches (!!), and a bunch of other features I have yet to explore. It

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-17726512180305855422012-01-18T12:57:00.000-08:002012-01-18T12:57:58.271-08:00

...post a comment on the contest post to enter. Midnight PST is the cut-off time. I'll post the winner on Friday, 1/20. Good luck! For WIP-it Wednesday, here's a collection of the three latest WIPs. Sedona is a Merino-Bamboo-Tussah Silk by Lisa Souza. Here is bobbin #1: At Tuesday Craft Night, I started Anasazi by Susan Portra. Right now it looks a lot like Zuni and Hopi, but that will

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-10080857433339766832012-01-16T15:46:00.000-08:002012-01-17T10:43:45.082-08:00

...how unusual! I had a wonderfully crafty weekend and it felt so good! A little spinning, a little soap making, a little weaving...it was all good. It started Friday night. I decided to make an artichoke frittata to take to Spin-In. It's a pretty easy dish to make and it's better if you make it the day before. While the frittata was baking, I found my soap recipes and gathered the

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-21162581097145544532012-01-13T11:13:00.000-08:002012-01-16T15:46:56.663-08:00

...I'm so glad it's Friday! Winter is not presenting any appealing garden pictures to take. You can only take so many pictures of dead leaves and paperwhite narcissus. I gave the Husband several packs of flower seeds and bulbs for Christmas. Eventually these will produce flowers to photograph. This week's eye candy is a picture I took a few weeks back. I 'm fascinated with these flowers.

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-3130038816934225422012-01-11T11:03:00.000-08:002012-01-11T11:03:05.088-08:00

...as promised, here are the Lask Michigan singles I finished over the weekend: I'll probably chain-ply them just to get it finished quicker. I love Miss Babs' colors and will make her booth one of the first I visit at Stitches West 2012. I have no specific plans for this yarn yet, but have been toying with the idea of creating a woven piece that shows the different colors in water. Too many

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-90333030940915053672012-01-10T14:46:00.000-08:002012-01-10T14:46:58.693-08:00

...and I have it. Over the weekend, I reviewed the potential and queued needlepoint/counted canvas projects in my stash. Of course, I wasn't content with just reviewing them, I started pulling threads for them....that's right, them. I found myself kitting and adding several more needlepoint projects to the queue. While gathering the threads for the various designs, I realized that I don't have

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-61226174597126800532012-01-06T16:01:00.000-08:002012-01-06T16:01:13.034-08:00

...thanks to the USPS who delivered the rest of Jane's gift today. Hooray! Here is the scarf that matches Jane's hat: Specs: Started 12/10/11 (and restarted multiple times...) Finished 1/1/12 Pattern: I used the pattern rows from Noro Spiral One-skein Hat by Manuèle Ducret to knit a tube that matches the hat. Yarn: Mini Mochi in Caramel Latte, doubled           The fringe is leftover Chunky

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-9039569581673348022012-01-06T11:04:00.000-08:002012-01-06T11:04:03.952-08:00

...and I don't have a lot to show. The garden is still in winter-mode (read: lots of dead leaves and bare branches). The only flowers blooming are paperwhite narcissus, which I recently used in an Eye Candy Friday post. This is as good as it gets for today: I could make this a Finished Object Friday—I've already finished a project in 2012 (yay!)—but I can't show it to you until Jane receives

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-8740273020652401832012-01-05T11:38:00.000-08:002012-01-05T11:38:56.572-08:00

...wow, it's been six years. In the last year there have been a few changes, some personal (nothing earth-shattering), some work (lots more responsibility), and some craft-related.  While I won't get into the personal stuff (because it is, after all, personal), here are the changes that affect how and when I blog: More work responsibilities mean that I find myself at the end of the day with no

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-90836963686651641782012-01-04T19:03:00.000-08:002012-01-04T19:03:40.072-08:00

Those not on Ravelry can see pictures of these items in my Flickr photostream and sets: Knitting, Spinning, Quilting/Sewing, Needlework, and Weaving. Short Story: I read a lot. I baked more and finished more sewing and stitching projects than last year. I knitted, wove, and spun a little less. Finished:   Christmas Baking, etc. 489 biscotti; 798 cookies 8 pounds of chocolate (fudge and

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-64322390815092692002012-01-04T17:20:00.000-08:002012-01-04T17:37:16.481-08:00

...where baking produced most of the FOs this month. Finished: 12/8 Jane's Chunky Mochi Hat (knitting) [Ravelry] Baking Biscotti (7 kinds): 489 Cookies (11 kinds): 798 Pumpkin bread: 12 mini-bundt cake, plus 2 mini-loaves Fruitcakes: 12 mini-bundt cake, plus 6 mini-loaves Marbled peppermint bark: 3 lbs Rocky Road bark: 1.5 lbs Pistachio-cranberry bark: 1.5 lbs Macadamia Lime Fudge: 1 lb Grand

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-26764881808604909702012-01-03T17:58:00.000-08:002012-01-04T17:21:04.476-08:00

...it's back to work I go.  And I jumped in with both feet! When you know there's a project waiting for you to start,  you can't quite make a slow re-entry. I spent yesterday looking through my queued projects trying to figure out if I had all of the threads for the next needlepoint picture I want to do. And the answer is: not quite.  I need to check my floss stash to see if I already have some

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-77905547774560429682012-01-01T20:08:00.000-08:002012-01-01T20:09:15.015-08:00

...welcome 2012! The first sunrise of the year: I didn't quite finish the rest of my stealth Christmas present in 2011, but I did finish it today. I need to press it and get it shipped out. I'll post pictures when it is in it's new home. Now to figure out what to do next... .

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-62121302279848866552011-12-31T11:02:00.000-08:002012-01-01T20:09:31.478-08:00

...it was a challenging year in many ways. I wasn't planning on a post today, but the sunrise was pretty interesting this morning. Happy New Year everyone!

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-71426530615518000882011-12-30T14:25:00.001-08:002012-01-01T20:09:00.255-08:00

...it started as a rainy day, so it was too dark to take pictures this morning, It's better this afternoon, but the garden is in full winter mode and there's nothing that I want to photograph.  So let's take a look at some of my favorite pictures of the year. Kayla's begonia A little bug on a hydrangea: Morning glory close-up White Icelandic poppy: Golden freesias You can see

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-9053029020358133482011-12-28T16:33:00.000-08:002011-12-28T16:33:57.321-08:00

...and I still can't show you my WIP. I've been a bad crafter. :( I failed to complete the Christmas present I was making. [sigh] Well, not totally. I got part of it done, but not all. I'm madly working away at it so I can mail it out a soon as I can. My other WIP was to pack up the cookies and get them mailed out. I spent several hours packing the boxes yesterday, wrapping the cookie

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-90726420905094116172011-12-26T19:07:00.000-08:002011-12-26T19:07:21.375-08:00

...and not much was accomplished. Christmas Eve dinner was a hit. I managed to finish decorating the house and wrap all the packages before I needed to start dinner. Here's the kitchen Christmas tree: The cioppino turned out great and everyone enjoyed it,  For dessert, I made a Grand Marnier chocolate mousse. The Daughter brought Sprinkles cupcakes and one of her friend's brought baklava. 

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-15466659805879923342011-12-23T21:29:00.000-08:002011-12-23T21:30:20.592-08:00

...I started early this morning when the sky looked like this: Today, I finished packing all the cookies, biscotti, breads, nuts, and bark. Here they are before I put them in their bags. This represents gifts for 21 people, including the ones I need to mail after Christmas. I also made  a double batch of Chile-Lime Nuts and a batch of fudge. Tomorrow, I will cut up and box the fudge, but

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-20531007502080653092011-12-21T20:30:00.000-08:002011-12-21T20:30:33.979-08:00

...the last day before vacation is always long. But I'm home now, enjoying a glass of wine, and vegging on the couch.  Tomorrow is soon enough to pack the rest of the cookies and find my kitchen floor under the layer of flour and sugar. My biggest WIP right now is Christmas. My tree is partially decorated, my Star Trek tree is still in its box, there are boxes of Christmas decorations are

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-36356232652288115172011-12-20T13:28:00.000-08:002011-12-21T20:31:05.323-08:00

...the short version: I baked more cookies and biscotti. I frosted the sugar cookies and gingerbread, and put chocolate on the biscotti. I did not make chocolate bark. The long version: I spent 2 days in the kitchen. On Saturday, I baked gingerbread cutouts, chocolate drop cookies, and polvorones. I also made a double batch of fruitcake biscotti. I made 12 cups each of Grand Marnier Pecans, and

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-52689383663329631342011-12-16T17:45:00.000-08:002011-12-16T17:45:12.129-08:00

...not intentionally, of course!  Today's Eye Candy comes from the last pepper harvest of the year. (Sorry, the lighting wasn't great this morning.) Ethiopian Berber peppers Anaheim chiles Bulgarian carrot peppers Up this weekend: The home stretch for baking. Another double batch of biscotti Gingerbread cookies, Chocolate bark Truffles Grand Marnier nuts and Amaretto nuts Chile

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-7718190064264566492011-12-14T17:20:00.000-08:002011-12-14T17:20:04.360-08:00

...I have a feeling Christmas will be a WIP until at least the 21st.  That's my last day at work for the year.  I'm just too tired at night to do much other than eat dinner and nod off in middle of my knitting or stitching. Remember Mr. Christmas Tree who we put in a time-out a week ago? He finally redeemed himself and is now standing much straighter (just not perfectly straight) in his stand.

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-11994181558859910592011-12-09T11:22:00.001-08:002011-12-09T11:57:30.400-08:00

...but not a lot to show for it.  Here is the one picture I have today: This lone paperwhite narcissus and the silly rose bush from last week are the only things blooming in the front yard. (I don't count the lantana bushes because they always seem to have flowers on them. I haven't really done much this week because it's been so cold. When I get home from work, all I want to do is curl up

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-47279378852105862882011-12-07T11:32:00.001-08:002011-12-07T13:00:05.205-08:00

…because I can't show you my crafty WIPs! Our current holiday WIP: Our Christmas tree is in the house, but we're having issues. Here's one of the problems: The trunk is huge!  After sitting in water for a few days, the trunk, which was already large, was so swollen that it no longer fit in the stand. The husband and I used a hand saw, a power saw, and a chisel to get it carved down

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-69729760572324983032011-12-06T12:20:00.001-08:002011-12-06T12:40:28.356-08:00

...it was a good month for needlepoint; not so good for knitting (or quilting, or weaving, or...) Finished: 11/6 Hopi by Susan Portra (needlepoint) 11/27 Zuni (needlepoint) Books: The Girls with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson   Promises in Death, JD Robb Salvation in Death, JD Robb Strangers in Death, JD Robb The Wedding Quilt, Jennifer Chiaverini  All Wound Up: The Yarn Harlot Writes for

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-87899417427812315232011-12-02T17:14:00.001-08:002011-12-02T17:44:18.001-08:00

...after today, it's going to be mostly all-baking-all-the-time around here. For Eye Candy Friday, here is this morning's sunrise: A very confused rose bush... It didn't get the memo that it is December. There are at least 15 blooms on the bush. Wen I arrived at the office yesterday, I saw something odd out of the corner of my eye... This leaf looked like it was floating in mid-air.

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-76158088078044542812011-11-30T16:26:00.001-08:002011-11-30T16:31:33.426-08:00

…yes, it is a WIP-it Wednesday, but I can't show you my current WIP. It's a Christmas present for my buddy, Jane and has to stay under wraps. Instead, let me show you a finished project. Here is the completed Zuni:  Specs:  Started: 11/8/2011 Finished: 11/27/11 Design by Susan Portra in an alternate colorway; This will be the last project I finish for myself until after Christmas. (I'll

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-87194505785669498082011-11-25T19:46:00.001-08:002011-11-25T20:10:01.641-08:00

...we spent the day at a Christmas tree farm with friends. It was a beautiful day, just a little crisp on the shade. The sunshine was welcome, except for the fact that it was a little too bright to take pictures. Oh, well. Instead, here are pictures of the pomegranates that we'll pick this weekend: and an individual: Thanksgiving Day dinner was great. It was nice not being completely

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-82171394960220020422011-11-23T15:33:00.001-08:002011-11-23T15:45:05.273-08:00

...I've only worked on the Zuni needlepoint. It's coming along: Most of my WIPs today are food. I've already made the stuffing for tomorrow and prepped the yams so they are ready to bake. I've made two pumpkin pies and a cranberry crustless pie (althought I think it looks like a cake).  I've coated the turkey with a dry brine (sea salt and herbs, with a touch of lemon peel). I have a little

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-48251193251247675112011-11-18T12:32:00.001-08:002011-11-18T12:43:27.433-08:00

...and this month is just whizzing by! Today's eye candy is mostly from another one of my weekend walks. I'm really enjoying my early morning walks...it's so quiet and peaceful. This morning's sunrise: A pine cone (I think. It's not in our yard and I can't exactly knock on the owner's door to ask what it is): Daisies: A rose: Pyracantha berries: Up this weekend: All the

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-43537604985838148052011-11-16T14:56:00.001-08:002011-11-16T15:06:45.104-08:00

…sigh. Tuesday has decided to be as difficult as Monday when it comes to blog posts. At least I have a WIP to report about. Here is Zuni: It's going very quickly. The designer used a different approach than on Hopi. Instead of filling in the center stitches first, she has you do the outside framework first and then move to the center. Using this method, it's much easier to keep track of

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-49733347909728289112011-11-11T12:11:00.001-08:002011-11-11T12:26:45.235-08:00

...I'm so ready for the weekend! Today's eye candy was a little challenging to get. The garden is in it's almost winter state...not a lot of flowers or interesting plants to photograph. The most interesting thing we have growing are brown chile peppers (not exactly photogenic) and pomegranates (I have lots of pomegranate pictures already).  So you get clouds! This was Thursday morning at

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-87166400997357677922011-11-09T18:10:00.000-08:002011-12-06T12:41:21.430-08:00

...and it's been a strange week so far.  It's almost 6pm and this is the first time I've had a chance to post! Because it's so late, you get a random post. No knitting progress since Friday. But I signed up for the Cookie A Sock Club anyway (oops) I have a weaving project percolating in my brain...we'll see how long that takes to bubble to the surface. (Think charcoal gray, black, with some

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-83026310451440925362011-11-04T14:55:00.000-07:002011-11-04T14:55:05.000-07:00

...and it's cold! I turned the furnace back on this morning because my hands were like ice! Not much to photograph for Eye Candy Friday. I have one last picture from my walk 2 weeks ago. It't not the best picture so I used a few Picnik filters to at least make it more interesting:   And the only other picture I have is one of the cats:   Sombra (white paws) and Tica were cold, too,

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-72543910933957612642011-11-04T12:29:00.000-07:002011-11-04T12:30:02.998-07:00

...I finished more than I thought. Finished: 10/22 Bollywood Phat Fiber box samples (spinning) [Ravelry]   10/23 Lisbon handspun [Ravelry]Lisbon 1 Merino-silk top from The Yarn Wench; Spun and plied on Lendrum DT folding wheel; 2-ply; 357.3 yards; Worsted weight 10/12 Turquoise Trail by Laura J Perin (needlepoint) 10/1 Tealing Groovy quilt  (quilting) Books: 1225 Christmas Tree Lane,

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-26851261464427975592011-11-02T12:24:00.000-07:002011-11-02T12:24:19.791-07:00

...I'm trying to finish at least one thing this month before we get to the December Bake-In. So far, the only project that has held my attention for more than a few minutes is the needlepoint project. Here is the current state of Hopi, a Susan Portra design: I really love this colorway! The eyelets are a little challenging and I really need good lighting to do them.  I have 4 small ones

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-458561811111196852011-11-01T16:45:00.000-07:002011-11-01T16:45:44.189-07:00

...hope everyone had a great Halloween! I spent most of Saturday at the Daughter's apartment.  She had four deliveries scheduled from 11am until 5:15pm.  Unfortunately, I could not concentrate on my knitting and the bar stool (the only seating until her sofa was delivered in the afternoon) was not comfortable for even reading.  I ended up putting her bookcases together (the first delivery of the

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-57790209511968351462011-10-28T18:37:00.000-07:002011-10-28T18:37:31.310-07:00

...I can't believe how fast that day went! It's all about purple for the eye candy...an agapantus flower: A passiflora (passion flower): and another view: And (finally) a picture of the Phat Fiber box contents: Don't ask me what the individual fibers are right now...I barely got the collage made, much less identified each of the fibers! Up this weekend: I'm helping the Daughter

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-693695717350614532011-10-26T15:28:00.000-07:002011-10-26T15:28:46.428-07:00

...with one WIP.  Here is the current state of Hopi: I need to finish the ecru stitches in the center area and enlarge the openings for the eyelets. Once I have established the size of the eyelets, I can go back and do some fill-in stitching around them. I chose not to stitch too close to the eyelet openings to avoid [I hope!] having to frog stitches. No new pictures of the Peacock Pomatomus

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-38021864254008151592011-10-25T18:05:00.000-07:002011-10-25T18:05:43.588-07:00

...Monday posts are just too hard to do. Here it is, the end of the day Tuesday, and I'm just now starting the first post of the week.  It's just been too busy around here! My weekend report: I spent it mostly spinning. I finished the Lisbon Merino-silk handspun that I started at Spin-In this month. It turned out a lot pinker than I expected. Here's the skein-shot: and the close-up:

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-85782992477442984292011-10-21T20:15:00.000-07:002011-10-21T20:15:59.953-07:00

...everything's been running late this week, so let's get right to the Eye Candy. These are Lion's Tail flowers.   A close up of the top: A close up of the fully grown flower: The fuzzy petals and the size of the flower make them look like orange tarantulas! And as promised here are a few pictured from Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF). (I show one  picture of the quilt

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-75207896201487680612011-10-19T18:25:00.000-07:002011-10-21T20:16:17.943-07:00

...I have no idea what happened to Monday and Tuesday. Every time I thought I'd get a minute to post, something interrupted! I have not had a chance to process the pictures I took at Pacific International Quilt Festival.  Some are Eye Candy Friday-worthy, so I'll post some then. There were many cool quilts. The ones that really intrigued me were an Audrey Hepburn portrait/wall quilt, two

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-36627762763188525162011-10-14T16:50:00.000-07:002011-10-14T16:50:54.738-07:00

...I finished Turquoise Trail! Yay!!  Here is it's preliminary picture: The lighting wasn't right this morning, but I wanted to take a picture anyway to show it off. It is much more beautiful than this picture shows. Specs: Started: 8/22/10 Finished 10/12/2011 Laura J Perin Designs Some modifications, mostly because I ran out of 2 Rainbow Gallery threads. For Eye Candy Friday,we have a sky

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-78337858576035180702011-10-12T12:59:00.000-07:002011-10-14T16:50:45.373-07:00

...a quick summary of what's in progress. Peacock Pomatomus socks [Ravelry] are taking a very short break. I only have so many hands and so many hours in the day. Seaweed Cardigan [Ravelry] is taking an even longer break. I haven't actually touched it this month. Spinning Isonzo [Ravelry] is also on the back burner. Spinning Lisbon 1 [Ravelry] might have to wait until the weekend. It's looking

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-40112070187183739722011-10-11T11:35:00.000-07:002011-10-11T11:35:47.147-07:00

...can't trust either day. I started this post on Monday, and now it's Tuesday.  I hope it's not Wednesday when I finish it! My weekend went partially as planned and partially not. As planned, I attended Spin In on Saturday. My wheel was acting up a bit...I think she was miffed that I've basically ignored her for a month. She settled down after an hour or so, but this served as a reminder that

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-27585990109986528552011-10-07T15:51:00.000-07:002011-10-07T15:51:33.029-07:00

...I have the preliminary picture of the Tealing Groovy quilt. I really need to find a good place to take quilt pictures. This is in my office and the lighting is not good: I mentioned earlier in the week that I had taken a walk around my neighborhood and took several pictures. Sit back...relax...there are a few of them! A purple daisy: Dewdrops in a rose: A chrysanthemum: A

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-32337375827195119362011-10-06T12:48:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:49:11.661-07:00

...finally. Finished: 9/3 Mas y Mas shawl (weaving) [Ravelry] 9/1 Mysterious Waters shawl (knitting) [Ravelry] Books: Visions in Death, JD Robb Sins of My Brother, Michael Hake Forgotten Past, Michael Hake New York to Dallas, JD Robb Divided in Death, JD Robb Crunch Time, Diane Mott Davidson Imitation in Death, JD Robb 1105 Yakima Street, Debbie Macomber Started: 9/17 Peacock Pomatomus

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-58453932178376931622011-10-05T16:25:00.000-07:002011-10-05T16:25:31.108-07:00

...I finally took some pictures! Here is the current state of Turquoise Trail: The lower-right quadrant is done (yay!) and the upper-right quadrant is almost done.  I made good progreass over the weekend and I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! The Peacock Pomatomus socks are starting to look more interesting: I like the scalloped look that is developing. At the last two

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-16937194801160234992011-10-03T18:12:00.000-07:002011-10-03T18:12:43.853-07:00

...hey! A Monday post on Monday, sort of. Finished the Tealing Groovy quilt on Saturday! I need to take some pictures, but it's done! Lost my battle with Start-itis...I started the Nefertem Shawl [Ravelry] on Saturday. And, started another quilt, as yet unnamed.  I have a lot of Day of the Dead fabric and other Mexican-themed fabric from Quarter Inch Publishing. I'm doing an experiment and

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-48743285182452504732011-09-30T15:51:00.000-07:002011-09-30T15:51:47.951-07:00

...what the heck happened to Wednesday and Thursday!? (They must be on vacation with Monday...) It's been a busy HR week for me. Lot's of things that had to be handled before October first. I finally got done with them yesterday and, doesn't it figure, I had a project deliverable today! I finished that, too. So how about some pictures to distract you from the lack of crafty blog content lately?

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-39594716466039208642011-09-27T17:49:00.000-07:002011-09-27T17:49:15.807-07:00

...because Monday just didn't happen, blog-wise. The Tealing Groovy quilt is almost done. I have to finish the binding, snip the loose threads, and finish the ties on the quilt cover. It's not the best quilt I've ever made, but it's a utility quilt and doesn't need to be perfect.  I'm still working on the first pattern repeat for the Peacock Pomatomus socks. For some reason my yarn-overs are a

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-22636244611059518122011-09-23T17:18:00.000-07:002011-09-23T17:19:01.699-07:00

...and it was slim pickings this morning. There is not much left in the garden that I haven't photographed I found one...a squash blossom: After that, I turned to the sky. The crescent moon was still visible when I started taking pictures: There were quite a few clouds this morning. Despite the clouds, it was quite warm today. Of course, I was in side for most of the day. I spent

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-64673986079767440612011-09-21T16:55:00.000-07:002011-09-21T16:55:59.683-07:00

...it's been a while since I posted some WIP pictures. Here is the current state of Turquoise Trail, the Laura J Perin design I've been working on for so long (Sorry for the dark picture): I finished quilting the cover for my Tealing Groovy quilt. It just needs binding and the ties so it will wrap around the quilt. And for the first time in a while, a new pair of socks! These will be

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-12076238101842691742011-09-19T19:08:00.000-07:002011-09-19T19:08:08.217-07:00

...Woo hoo! Of course, it is late afternoon. And I have no pictures to show you. I guess you can't have everything. Quick hits: I picked up my contact lenses on Saturday, Almost immediately, my sight improved! Yay! It will take some getting used to as I haven't worn contacts in 2.5 years, and gas perms in at least 5 years. I working on my Tealing Groovy quilt. I finished quilting the cover and

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-9605941124856599652011-09-16T15:07:00.000-07:002011-09-16T15:07:35.687-07:00

...yup, I'm still here. This week was just completely out of control from the very beginning. Between project stuff and HR stuff, my time just gets sucked into a black hole. Stir in a few doctor appointments and there if nothing left over by the end of the day. It looks like next week is going to be more of the same... How about some eye candy? I know I could use some! A tendril on a pink

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-29603451351255659242011-09-13T12:37:00.000-07:002011-09-13T12:38:26.333-07:00

...and Tuesday is heading in that direction. At least I have an excuse for today. I have a doctor's appointment at 2:30 that will take big chunk out of my day. Monday was just a blur. Spin In on Sunday was wonderful! I finished the first 4 ounces of an 8-ounce bump of Creatively Dyed wool-bamboo-seacell fiber. The food was yummy and the company was great, as always. With my latest 2 projects (

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-8840097895953462962011-09-09T18:11:00.000-07:002011-09-09T18:11:52.124-07:00

…for a short week, it's been a week! I'm so ready for it to be over (just 1 more hour!). For today's eye candy, I have pictures of the flowers that the Husband bought for my birthday. Great Bellflower Rocoto pepper Scarlet Larkspur Cuphea Cyanea Salvia, Blue Angel Salvia, Hot Lips Three Birds Flying Yes, he went a little crazy buying plants! And there are two

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-2991423711644380122011-09-05T12:26:00.000-07:002011-09-05T12:26:09.527-07:00

...if I don't get anything else posted today, the least I can do is a recap. Finished: Nothing knitted, quilted, spun, or woven (I'm not counting the Bollywood fibers as individual spins; it's done when I finish spinning all the samples.) Books: A Dance with Dragons, George RR Martin Unraveled, Maggie Sefton Halfway to the Grave, Jeaniene Frost Reunion in Death, JD Robb Damian's Oracle,

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-33495951829638292542011-09-02T17:55:00.000-07:002011-09-02T17:55:55.274-07:00

...running a little late, but at least it's still Friday! It's getting harder and harder to find new things to photograph in our yard. I need to remember to take my camera with me so I can take some pictures to and from the gym. Some of the houses along the way have some nice flowers. I did manage to find 3 things. A cyclamen bud: A strawberry blossom: Fully bloomed buddleia spire,

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-37731933416277190022011-09-01T17:57:00.000-07:002011-09-01T17:57:43.648-07:00

...not quite by the end of August, but very close! Here's what it looks like unblocked: I'm tired...my hands and shoulders are sore. And there's still one more day in the week. Thank goodness there's a 3-day weekend in sight!  .

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-36556912254092257632011-08-31T12:25:00.000-07:002011-08-31T12:25:00.823-07:00

...if I say it enough times, it will happen, right? I'm manically desperately trying  to finish the Westknits KAL Mystery shawl today so I can submit a "finished" picture to the prize thread tomorrow. I have 5.5 rows and the bind-off to finish. It's gonna be a long night... .

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-48263624897007325172011-08-29T15:30:00.000-07:002011-08-29T15:30:14.467-07:00

...yes, we had crafting! A little spinning, a little weaving, a some knitting. So, I couldn't resist the Bollywood fiber.  I hadn't ever plied with sequins and I'd only plied with beads once. I just had to try it. I strung the beads and sequins on some gold rayon thread I had leftover from a previous yarn. Then I plied my Bollywood Wedding #1 (red and gold) single with the threaded add-ins.  I

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-10384546396610503562011-08-26T15:55:00.000-07:002011-08-26T15:55:56.985-07:00

...most of my week has been plagued by a massive sinus-TMJ-eye headache. When it got into day 3 and the extra-strength Excedrine was not even touching it, I went back to an old stand-by: cold diet Pepsi. I've been trying to kick my diet Pepsi habit, but sometimes I need that combination of sweet (or faux-sweet as the case maybe), syrupy and  bubbles to really cut through the headache. Why it

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-24961954693686478822011-08-24T17:57:00.000-07:002011-08-24T17:57:44.381-07:00

...and we have a little more Bollywood spinning going on. Here are the latest two: Both of these samples came with sequins and the red also had some gold beads. I plan on plying the red single with the add-ins, but I'm not sure about the other. I wasn't in love with the colors when I opened the box, but adding the pink silk to it really helped. I'm going to try to ignore the other samples

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-81919509250528227772011-08-22T14:47:00.000-07:002011-08-22T14:47:12.614-07:00

..bet you didn't think I could do it, right? Aside from grocery shopping and a couple of chores (like laundry) that need to get done every weekend, I didn't do anything other than crafty stuff. I finished knitting section 3 of clue #3 for the Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL 2011, AKA Mysterious Waters [Ravelry]. I found a stitch count problem when I picked it up again and had to fix that first.

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-41554848806373685922011-08-19T14:20:00.000-07:002011-08-19T14:20:54.232-07:00

...it's been a week.  We'll get to that in a minute. First, let's have some eye candy. Nasturtium leaves, just because they are pretty and green: Little gala apples, because we actually got to eat apples this year. Fewer squirrels means more apples for us! Wonderfully shaped Anna Russian tomatoes: A green and gold tomato: Freshly-picked red tomatoes: For the first time since I heard

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-8482243345602359022011-08-17T17:30:00.000-07:002011-08-17T17:30:39.116-07:00

...this week has escaped me. Too many things going on and a last-minute eye exam today left me with dialated and numbed eyes.  Thank goodness for spell check because I can barely see to type this. Hope to be back on Friday.

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-25281492380506093032011-08-12T15:55:00.000-07:002011-08-12T15:55:08.282-07:00

...another long, yet short week. We're heading into that part of the year where the garden is mostly tomatoes and chile peppers. They all start to look the same after a while. Finding eye candy this morning was a challenge. Another hibiscus is blooming in the courtyard: More dahlias are blooming in the back yard: The dew on the dahlias was interesting this morning: Love how it glistens in

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-37613608815793653212011-08-10T11:27:00.000-07:002011-08-10T11:29:40.919-07:00

...because I showed you a picture of my latest WIP on Monday. Here's a mini-update on the WIPs (project name - mood): The Beets Go On Socks [Ravelry] - Frustrated/Irritated I found another break in the yarn at about the same point in knitting the cuffs for these socks. I'm about ready to chuck the yarn and put this pattern aside for now. I don;t know if it's the quality of this particular skein

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-3779934711846715022011-08-08T21:03:00.000-07:002011-08-08T21:03:44.170-07:00

...man, they keep escaping from me! Since it's so late, I'll keep my weekend report short. I spent a few happy hours weaving on the Mas y Mas shawl [Ravelry]. Mostly I was obsessed with the Westknits mystery shawl KAL [Ravelry]. Maybe it's because the photos of the potential color choices were so beautiful [Flickr] and everyone's pictures of their first liittle nugget of knitting looked so

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-9873936012419657142011-08-05T14:59:00.000-07:002011-08-05T14:59:50.045-07:00

...and I'm actually posting on schedule. Woo hoo! Today we have pink amaryllis (AKA pink n@ked ladies): Purple lantana: Yellow lantana: and a weed (Field bindweed). We harvested a few vegetables last night...a gherkin, a cucumber, and a couple of tomatoes: Here's a close-up of that gigantic gherkin: Up this weekend: A few chores, a few errands, followed by weaving and knitting. I

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-90872042914805963312011-08-04T12:19:00.000-07:002011-08-04T12:19:32.085-07:00

...still off-track this week, but at least you get a recap!   Between Tour de Fleece and the length of George RR Martin's "A Dance with Dragon," I didn't finish as many books this month. Finished: 7/3 Spring Lake Lagoon handspun (spinning) [Ravelry] 50% Merino, 50% Tencel top from Royale Hare 139.5 yds Navajo-plied , 11 WPI 7/5 Mountain Meadow handspun (spinning) [Ravelry] SW Merino-Alpaca top

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-33078533498030004732011-08-02T16:00:00.000-07:002011-08-02T16:00:11.496-07:00

...and I've already gone off-track! Monday just flew right by and it's looking like Tuesday is going to follow! On to the weekend report: On Saturday, I had the itch to weave. I had an idea of what I wanted to do and then I walked into my craft room. Oh, yeah...it was a disaster in there. Between the quilt that I finished and the stash diving for Tour de Fleece, things were seriously out of

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-85872998430548810032011-07-29T16:59:00.000-07:002011-07-29T16:59:08.684-07:00

...how'd you get here so fast? Not that I'm complaining, but the week usually only flies by like this when I'm on vacation! That's what happens when I have a lot of work. Today's eye candy comes from our garden and our neighbor's front yard. First, some Green Rellano chile peppers: Next, the edge of a pineapple tomatillo flower and stem: The center of a Sempervivum succulent in the backyard:

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-75675393529609298852011-07-27T14:38:00.000-07:002011-07-27T14:38:37.171-07:00

...after all of that spinning for Tour de Fleece and finishing the quilt, I'm finding it hard to transition back into knitting and needlepoint. I have a few things in progress that I have barely (or haven't) touched this month: Seaweed Cardigan [Ravelry] - the back piece is done and I'm working on the front pieces, two at a time. I've managed to knit a couple of rows, but that's it. The Beets Go

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-35673939275241635962011-07-25T15:51:00.000-07:002011-07-25T16:04:56.780-07:00

...et moi aussi! My hands and shoulders are a bit sore, but I finished! Here is the Silver Lake handspun that I plied yesterday, : and the close-up: Specs: Started 7/19/11 Finished 7/24/11 Silver Lake Zen top (50% Merino, 25% Tussah silk, 25% Bamboo; 4oz) from Lisa Souza 269.8 yds, 12 WPI Here's a collage of the handspun I finished for this year's tour: Overall Tour de Fleece stats:

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-43413768531008994302011-07-22T18:48:00.000-07:002011-08-04T12:21:42.574-07:00

...it's been a long, but productive week. I'll do Tour de Fleece first, and then Eye Candy. Tour de Fleece days 19, 20 & 21: I had very little time to spin over the last 3 days. I managed to spin Silver Lake for an hour on Tuesday, 45 minutes on Wednesday, and about 30 minutes last night. The why of it follows with some sort-of Eye Candy.. The commissioned quilt I've been working on for so long

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-42550516969167973952011-07-20T12:34:00.000-07:002011-07-20T12:34:29.171-07:00

...heading towards the end. Day 17: This was a rest day and boy, did I need it. I spent the time designing the quilt label for my commissioned quilt and then printing it. Day 18: I started spinning Silver Lake, a Zen top from Lisa Souza: It weighs 4 ounces and is 50% Merino, 25% Tussah silk, and 25% Bamboo. I only spent an hour on it because I needed to sew the label on the quilt. In looking

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-17793481619899821392011-07-18T11:35:00.000-07:002011-07-18T11:35:48.177-07:00

...my hands and shoulders are sore. It's a good thing that today is a rest day! Day 14: I finished hand-sewing the quilt binding (yay!), but it didn't leave me much time for spinning. I did manage to finish the singles for Forest Afternoon and then crashed on the couch. One thing that brightened my day was the arrival of my Pro-Verbial Fiber club installment. I'm not much of a pink person, but

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-86474798773431620252011-07-15T10:23:00.000-07:002011-07-15T10:23:24.682-07:00

...I had a good day yesterday. I ran one errand and then enjoyed a nice Starbucks latte with my breakfast. I dove right into the quilt and got about half of the binding hand sewn before my fingertips gave out. At least I didn't prick myself this time! Tour de Fleece, Day 12 and 13: I managed to spin for an hour on Wednesday night. Yesterday, I had hoped to finish the Forest Afternoon singles,

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-15878687505227178292011-07-13T14:38:00.000-07:002011-07-13T19:44:52.437-07:00

...and day 10 as well. Day 10: I did not spin on Monday, as planned, but I did manage to knit a couple of rows on my sadly neglected sweater. Day 11: Last night I managed to get another hour of spinning on the next handspun. This is Forest Afternoon, a Merino-Bamboo-Silk top from Miss Babs: This represents about 2 hours of spinning. Like all of the Miss Babs fiber that I've spun, it's

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-37541517348435914492011-07-11T15:14:00.000-07:002011-07-11T15:14:54.983-07:00

...I finished another yarn. Yay! Here is Armstrong Woods Redwood: and the close-up: Specs: Started 7/6/11 Finished 7/10/11 Merino-Tencel (4 oz) from Royale Hare Spun and plied on Lendrum DT folding wheel Yield: 269.8 yds chain-ply, 13 WPI This yarn is has a few segments that are energized, but for the most part it's pretty balanced. I consciously slowed down when I was plying, which made

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-35541099109963115542011-07-09T19:33:00.000-07:002011-07-13T14:44:54.986-07:00

...I finished spinning the Armstrong Woods Redwood singles (a Merino-Tencel from Royale Hare). I did most of the spinning at Spin-In and finished the last bit when I got home. Time to rest my hands! I'll ply this tomorrow. .

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-16687395474557960002011-07-08T12:08:00.000-07:002011-07-08T12:08:27.823-07:00

...first the short Tour de Fleece report: I spun for 60 minutes. The Husband got up at 3am to leave for Seattle and I couldn't get back to sleep. So I spent most of the day in a fog and nearly fell asleep at my desk!  After dinner, I recovered a bit and managed to get an hour of spinning done. I'll probably get the same amount done tonight, but Spin-In will get me back on track. Today's Eye

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-37963761652359721082011-07-07T11:06:00.000-07:002011-07-08T09:34:48.703-07:00

...I didn't get home from work until 7:45pm, so not a lot of spinning time. This is what 90 minutes of spinning looks like: This is a Merino-Tencel (4 oz) from Royale Hare; the color is Armstrong Woods Redwood. This one might take a few days to complete because of this pesky thing called work...you know that thing that I do to earn money so I can buy more fiber. .

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-75776260594776443482011-07-07T10:57:00.000-07:002011-07-08T09:34:31.194-07:00

...finally! Finished: 6/13 Blue Whale Shawl (knitting) [Ravelry] Books: The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins A Storm of Swords, George RR Martin A Feast for Crows, George RR Martin Spider Web, Earlene Fowler Seduction in Death,  J.D. Robb Started: nothing Worked on: Commission quilt using the rail fence block, currently unnamed Seaweed

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-837762041580330952011-07-06T11:19:00.000-07:002011-07-06T11:19:00.066-07:00

... for the next 3 weeks I'm going to show my Tour de Fleece progress/accomplishments in lieu of WIP-it Wednesdays. I took my wheel to Craft Night and spun instead of working on my needlepoint. I debated whether to ply the Mountain Meadow singles or start something new. I decided that finishing a yarn was a good thing, so I opted to ply. This is an energized yarn (to say the least) and the

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-60156368121366954112011-07-05T11:06:00.000-07:002011-07-25T16:10:58.118-07:00

...that's pretty much all I worked on this weekend. It was too hot to knit and way too hot to wrestle a quilt, although I did manage to out in a couple of hours last night. Here's what I did for Tour de Fleece. Day 1, 7/2 I spun all 4 ounces of Spring Lake Lagoon, a SW Merino-Tencel from Royale Hare. Day 2, 7/3 Navajo-plied Spring Lake Lagoon (139.5 yds, 11 WPI) and the close-up I

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-52053007711788613022011-07-01T13:11:00.000-07:002011-07-13T14:44:03.827-07:00

...I don't know about you, but I wasn't ready for June to be done yet! I guess I better get the recap together RSN. We're starting to enjoy the bounty of our fruit trees. Arctc Jay nectarine: Double Delight nectarine: Ripe plum, type unknown: Santa Rosa plum: The tomatoes are going a little slow this year because of our strange weather. I hope we get a decent crop! In the flower area,

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-87148429359691870182011-06-29T12:21:00.000-07:002011-06-29T12:21:46.699-07:00

...it seems like you just got here! I'd officially like to ask Time to slow down a bit on the weekends...I have lots I want to do (like sleep) and 48 hours for a weekend is not enough! Thank goodness we have a 3-day weekend coming up. As promised, here is a picture of Turquoise Trail, as of last night: I'm making steady, if somewhat slow, progress. Craft Nights have been a wonderful way to

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-33009193059301582082011-06-28T11:19:00.000-07:002011-07-13T14:44:54.988-07:00

...because I really don't have much else. Monday posts are getting harder and harder to do. Most of the day is gone by the time I can even think about posting. So I'm going to give myself a break and just post on Tuesday when Monday escapes me. I finished all of the machine sewing for the commissioned quilt. YAY! Now I just have to bury threads and do the hand-sewing on the binding. Oh, yeah,

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-72366245069059235682011-06-24T12:43:00.000-07:002011-06-24T12:43:07.811-07:00

...can't wait for this day to be over! First eye candy: some pretty little flowers called Society Garlic. Next, ripe Blenheim apricots: and a close up: These are so sweet and juicy! And finally, we have cherries from CJ Olson's stand, a fixture here in Sunnyvale CA. We look forward to them every year. They are the best cherries ever! Up this weekend: Finish the border quilting for the

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-85252929151772731542011-06-22T10:43:00.000-07:002011-06-22T10:43:38.323-07:00

...I haven't taken any pictures since last Friday. Nothing has really called out to me. I've taken pictures of almost everything in the garden and there is nothing new blooming. The Husband wants me to get new pictures of the dragon beans, but I haven't done that yet. I've been doing a little knitting, but can't seem to get more than a couple of rows knitted at a time.  I frogged The Beets Go On

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-70812888274053991622011-06-17T12:08:00.000-07:002011-06-17T12:08:08.080-07:00

...first the finished object: Blue Whale Shawl! Specs: Started 3/13/11 Finished 6/13/11 Fiber and pattern from the ProVerbial Club by A Verb for Keeping Warm  Pattern: Blue Whale Shawl by Stephen West Yarn: 418.8 yds of handspun yarn;  4oz. BFL-Tussah Silk fiber in "The Whale's Migratory Tale." I knit the last inch in a commercial yarn from A Verb for Keeping Warm, Floating (

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-42673429445941084582011-06-15T10:58:00.000-07:002011-06-15T10:58:29.842-07:00

...mostly because I showed one on Monday. I have three WIPs that have been seeing action lately: Seaweed Cardigan [Ravelry] - I posted a picture on Monday Turquoise Trail (needlepoint) - This is my Craft Night project; no craft night this week, so no progress this week. However, I hve made progress since the last picture I posted, so I guess an updated photo is in order soon. Commission quilt -

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-77610735526756592302011-06-13T18:52:00.000-07:002011-06-13T18:52:16.247-07:00

...I'm still here. I've been a bad blogger lately. Maybe I just needed a break... Anyway, my nephew's graduation went well. It was hotter than I expected and as a result I got a little sunburned. It's at the itchy stage now and I'm trying hard not to scratch! Here are a few pictures from the graduation (sorry, the distance shots are fuzzy): Some contraband beach balls: Success! To

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20587351.post-79699841713188430242011-06-06T11:33:00.000-07:002011-06-06T11:33:07.825-07:00

...I'm off on Thursday and Friday to go to my nephew's high school graduation. It's an over-night trip and I'm flying solo on this one.  He lives by my Mom so I'll be able to spend some time with her. Spin-In was great, as always. I started a Merino-Bamboo-Seacell top from Creatively Dyed called Isonzo [Ravelry]. It's 8 ounces and will take some time to spin. I finished knitting the Blue Whale

mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07022802191967598936noreply@blogger.com0