Livin' La Needle Loca

 ...I had a great Mother's Day!  The Daughter sent these beautiful roses on Friday for Mother's Day.  We went to her house for lunch and enjoyed spending more time with her. Between the trip to Cabo and Mother's Day, we've probably spent more time with her this month than than we have in a long time. Not than I'm complaining in any way!  We're nearing the end of the studio remodel and I can't wait! There are so many things that I want to order for the room, but I need to wait until we're sure that we can get in there without getting in the way. The only thing I've been to do is partially set-up the laundry area. The laundry area is tight and there's no way that I could have a cabinet that would house both the cat box and laundry necessities.  I bought magnetic shelves to put on the side of the W/D tower to hold detergent, dryer sheets, paper towels, etc. It's working very well so far. I just need to get a ...

...and I'm trying hard to fill them with family and crafts rather than doom-scrolling. Yesterday, The Husband and I celebrated our 40/45th anniversary. 45 years ago we had our pivotal 3rd date. I couldn't get a sitter, so we took my daughter along. He planned an entire day that included an almost-three-year-old child, doing things that she might enjoy. We all had a great time! Five years later, we married on the anniversary of that 3rd date. 45 years later, we are still together and he still makes my heart sing. We've raised a wonderful daughter, endured the loss of our parents and other family members, celebrated weddings and birthdays, and learned to just be with each other. We celebrated our love and life with a dinner at a favorite restaurant. With the world spinning out of control, we know we have each other.

...and some catch-up. Yesterday was my birthday and I decided to take the day off from packing things in the studio. I did a little stitching, a little puttering, and then we went out to dinner. I took a few photos in the garden before I asked The Husband to take my birthday photo. The yellow hibiscus is still going strong: The Husband bought a basket full of red verbena and calibrachoa to hang in the backyard: and the Marc Chagall rose is blooming again. It was a big birthday, 75, and a tough one to wrap my arms around.  I am blessed with good genes, but still the number gets to me. My mom looked great at 75: and here is my birthday photo: I'm rarely happy with any photo of myself. This one turned out pretty well. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: My Recipes (cooking) Continued adding recipes from my Christmas cookbook and research some of the sources. I wished that I had done a better job of keeping track of the sources, but it...

 ...and it's mom's birthday. Tonight we'll toast her with her favorite beverage, Corona beer. Sadly, at the end of her life she was not allowed to have alcohol so Coronas were out. She finally got used to non-alcoholic beer. I decided that I wanted to finish something after several days of minimal spinning.  This is Sheen [ Ravelry ]: and the close-up: Specs: Started and finished 7/9/2024 4.1 oz. BFL from Yarn Wench 89.6 yds., super-bulky Plied with Facets in 106 from Loops & Threads I'll ply Copper Hills [ Ravelry ] tomorrow.

...and I'm looking forward to a new year. This last year was very difficult. My mother's decline followed by her passing in July really impacted how I handled my day-to-day and reduced my attention to my crafts. In what's becoming an annual tradition, I tried blasting out one more project for the year. This is Mom's Turquoise Handspun [ Ravelry ]: and the close-up: Specs: Started and finished 12/31/2023 Falkland (4.1 oz) from the Yarn Wench in Navajo Turquoise Plied  with Rayon thread in Turquoise and 10/2 Mercerized cotton in Blue Turquoise beads from Mom’s collection 54.2 yds 3 ply, Super-Bulky weight Mom had a bunch of beads in her jewelry collection that were intended to be used in craft projects. I restrung them on thread and incorporated them into this art yarn. Also here are the additional projects that I completed as Christmas Gifts. This is Navy Bankhead Hat [ Ravelry ] that I made for The Husband: Specs: Started ...

 ...and Happy November! Not much has changed since last week. I'm still working on the same projects, making some progress, but not a lot. One thing new this week was creating an Ofrenda for my mother, sister, and brother. This is the first year that I've made one. I found enough things to add to it for this year, but I hope to expand it for next year. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Mermaid’s Lagoon Socks (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Working on the second pattern repeat. Ocean Ripples Wrap (knitting) [ Ravelry ]  Added a couple of rows. Mermaids of the Deep Blue Sea (cross stitch) Still beading the bodies. Winged Dreams (cross stitch) Working on the body. No Work This Week: Illusion Cube Blanket (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Less Salmon More Run (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting) Singularity Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ]   Sky Lanterns Shawl (knitting) [ Ravel...

 ...still struggling to get back into my normal routine. The hollyhocks that we purchased at Annie's Annuals on Father's Day are finally blooming: When I was at mom's this last time, I found a sun catcher hanging by the pool. I brought it home and hung it in our cherry tree. I can see it from my bedroom window.

 ...it's been a while. Over the last couple of years, I've mentioned several trips to my mom's that impacted my crafting time. This time, mom turned a corner and I was off to her house again. Mom went under Hospice care for a few days and passed away on the 6th. We kept her comfortable and she died peacefully in her own home. My siblings and I are dealing with the aftermath as best as we can. I'll be going back and forth between home and mom's to handle her estate. I'm hoping things will get to a point where I can do a lot remotely. Sigh, we knew it was inevitable, but we didn't think it would be quite this soon. Mom decided she was done with this dementia thing and died at home just 3 days before her 93rd birthday. Rest in Peace, Mom Theresa Haupt, July 1930 - July 2023

 ...blog and run. When I was reorganizing the upstairs storage cabinets, I found a box that contained some of my childhood things. I used this pink jewelry box to store my treasures. I think it may have belonged to my mother at some point. It's missing a few rhinestones, but it's in pretty good shape otherwise. This aeonium is thriving in our courtyard:

 ...yesterday was kind of a wash. We were pretty tired after Sunday. We sailed on the San Francisco Bay to drop my mother-in-law's ashes in the approximate location that we dropped my father-in-law's ashes. We spent 3 hours on the water, going almost all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. Afterwards, The Daughter hosted a family gathering in her home. We shared funny stories and memories of both parents. It was a wonderful day, but exhausting. Spinning is always my go-to craft when I'm tired or stressed. I spent most of the day finishing up Blue Eyes [ Ravelry ]: and the close-up: Specs: Started 5/28/2022 Finished 6/20/2022 Yak-Silk (4.0 oz.) from Greenwood Fiberworks 177 yds chain-ply, 13 WPI

 ...just trying to deal with everything. I am working on a few things, but it's sometimes difficult to concentrate. I have started a couple of things, though. No photos today. Maybe soon. WIPs Roll Call Worked On: Aquamarine Handspun (spinning) [ Ravelry ] Started 11/13; finished singles Oh Little Town Christmas ornament (cross stitch) Started 11/15 Singularity Shawl (knitting) [ Ravelry ]  Added a few more rows. No Work This Week: Illusion hexagons [ Ravelry ] Look Through My Window quilt for me (quilting)  Malachite (needlepoint)  Noche de los Muertos quilt (quilting)  Pacific Waters tapestry (weaving) [ Ravelry ]  Queued Ready to machine quilt: Mermaid Songs (quilting) Ready to start - Lilith of Labrador mermaid (cross stitch) Waiting for Finishing: Finishing work for some old crewel pictures (sewing) UFOs/Hibernation: Be My Baby for My Baby (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Bean Me Up quilt (quilting) Be...

 …it’s hard to imagine a world without my sister in it. She had a quadruple bypass on Thursday. Her heart was not strong enough to come back after the surgery and she passed away.  I was almost 16 when she was born. She had a different father than I had, but I never though of her as my half-sister.  She was my baby sister and I loved her. I took care of her a lot the first year of her life. I didn’t live at home after that. My family moved and I stayed with a friend’s family while I finished high school. I went off to college after that and then married at 19. During visits home, I’d get to spend time with her. When I married, I had more financial resources and I was able to spoil her and my little brother with the toys that I always wanted as a kid.  When I had my daughter, my sister was 12. Some summers, I would have my sister live with us to help care for our daughter and to give her relief from living at home. My mother was p...

...and I'm looking forward to my birthday weekend. The Daughter sent me a birthday bouquet a day early. It contains some beautiful roses pink mums and a stunning ranunculus. I'm looking forward to having a special dinner tomorrow to celebrate.

 ...I'm still here. A week ago on Saturday (7/21), I went to my Mom's for a few days. It was a mentally-intense 5 days and it took me a couple of days to recover from it. So, what's happened in the last week? The Daughter visited us the following Saturday (7/28) to celebrate my birthday early. My birthday always falls around Labor Day weekend. (I was actually born on Labor Day.) As a result, people always have plans so we frequently celebrate early or late. This year, we celebrated with fresh peach pie and lemon meringue pie (my favorite). I worked on a few more catnip mice. A friend asked for 4 of them. When my sister saw me working on them, she asked for one for her kitty, and my great-nephew wants one for his new kitty. I love knitting these mice because they are a fast knit. I love seeing quick results! Yesterday, marked one year since we adopted our cats, Canela and Cassia. They have brought so much joy to my life! Canela is the...

 ...I didn't really have time to blog while I was at mom's. TdF Day 11, 7/6/2021 Took a rest day.  Between traveling and talking to mom, I just didn't have the energy to spin. TdF Day 12, 7/7/2021 Started Heather [ Ravelry ] on the spindle. I immediately ran into drafting problems. I don't know whether it was because the fiber has been in my stash for years and was too compressed or if the cashmere component was causing issues. It was hard to get a smooth spin. TdF Day 13, 7/8/2021 Did some severe pre-drafting of the fiber and tried to spin the fiber again. TdF Day 14, 7/9/2021 Took a rest day for mom's birthday. I helped her with the phone calls that she received as she was having trouble hearing them. We had a wonderful birthday dinner at my sister's house. My mom enjoyed her day. 😀 TdF Day 15, 7/6/2021 I drove home in the morning and arrived just after lunch. After grabbing something to eat and catching up with The Hu...

 ...and a little sadness. First, the Finished Object. This is Beach Roses: Specs: Started 6/10/2021 Finished 6/23/2021 Pattern by Just Nan No modifications I started another project, but it probably will get pushed off to the side for Tour de Fleece, which starts tomorrow. Today, we mourn the loss of The Husband's mother. She was a wonderful woman with a feisty streak and a wicked sense of humor. We will miss her. She loved flowers, so in her memory here are Sissy Pink Oenothera: hydrangea and a zinnia.

 ...35 years married and 40 years together. We can't have the celebration that we wanted because COVID. But, we will have a celebration when we can, whether that's in weeks or not until next year.

...after the visit to Mom's, I'm a little behind. Tour de Fleece, 7/8: I drove to Mom's in the morning. While I caught up with Mom, I started spinning Fields of Flowers [ Ravelry ]. This yak-silk is very soft and I found it difficult to spin on the spindle I took. I think this spindle is too heavy fro the fiber. I'll finish it on the wheel when I get home. Tour de Fleece, 7/9: It was Mom's birthday, so I took a planned rest day. We enjoyed celebrating with Mom today...lots of good food and great talks. Tour de Fleece, 7/10: I spent most of the day helping Mom with some paperwork. No spinning for me, so I took my second rest day. Tour de Fleece, 7/11: I drove home from Mom's. When I got home, I started the laundry and spun another art yarn.  This is Mahogany Peacock [ Ravelry ]: and the close up: Specs: Started and finished 7/11/2020 Falk...

... honoring those who sacrificed all for our country. May 25th is also my fathers birthday. He was born in 1916 and has been gone since 1961. I only had 11 years with him, and it was not enough. He was a good and fair man, according to my mother. At 11, I only knew him as a loving father, who doted on his children. I'm sad that he never go to meet our daughter, the rest of his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I miss him every day. . .

...with photos of the latest finished objects. I finished the Jamaica handspun [ Ravelry ] and the close-up: Specs: Started 4/27/2020 Finished 5/7/2020 Falkland (4.2 oz.) from the Yarn Wench 154.2 yds., 11 WPI This is the Black Grape handspun [ Ravelry ]: and the close-up: Specs: Started 5/2/2020 Finished 5/8/2020 Falkland (4.0 oz.) from the Yarn Wench 118.75 yds., 8 WPI I also sewed more masks on Saturday 5/9/2020: I also finished the front side of the Bee Joyful scissor fob and baked a loaf of bread. On Sunday, The Daughter came over for Mother's Day. She drew this on our driveway and gave me a bouquet of flowers. We did the appropriate physical distancing and wore masks. I really miss hugging her! .