While we were putting away things and cleaning up from the holiday decoraing, I had the bright idea of putting things in the attic. We have a big attic by Southern California standards, but not huge... (you can stand up in it) - anyway, early Sunday morning, while Gregg was putting things away up there with my help, he accidentally put his leg through the ceiling of the office - making about an 18" x 18" hole and dumping 30 year old insulation (no asbestos, thankfully) all over whatever was below... As a wonderful thank you from Kristen Kapur (Through the Loops) for test knitting a pattern for her, I was given 880 yards of 100% merino handspun custom dyed by String Theory on Etsy - it's AMAZING - I can't wait to figure out something to make with it - it appears to be about DK weight - I am thinking it might be enough to eek out a vest... I LOVE the colors - and am so thankful for the opportunity to test knit her pattern AND to get to work with her gorgeous Handspun! (Thanks, Kristen!) Sunday afternoon (after falling through the ceiling) we picked our friend Chuck up from the airport and went antique shopping in Pomona, CA - I got caught up in doilies... I have an idea of what I want to do with them - I'll let you just be curious for now :) Just a quick post to wish everyone the best of holidays - we're not even awake yet - haven't opened presents - I wanted to send a photo of my tree bedecked with its white boas as garland... and show you what it looked like this year.. 9' tall and fake (thank you, Target!) - my fav. ornaments this year are still the 2 collars from my childhood doggies, Otis and Sugar - two peekingese doggies who filled my family's lives with joy and love for many many years... This is Gregg's tree - vintagy and fun - he calls it his crazy tree... we only put up 2 this year (only?) - and we have enjoyed them every day. We don't know when we'll take them down... probably a few weeks into the new year. The last photo I'm putting in here is the one of my nutcrackers... I have quite a few now... we add some each year - they're fun and silly and it is so easy to collect them. The biggest problem with holiday decorations is storing them - they take up a lot of space! Self Portrait - Painting in Progress I'm working on my self portrait for Acrylics class and it's coming along nicely so far... I have the background begun and I'm pleased with the way the colors look. The staircase is from an antebellum mansion that is now owned (or was, anyway?) by Ashland (an oil company) and it's located in Louisiana - I think Baton Rouge?- anyway, it's probably gone now because of Katrina, but the photo remains, and I am in love with the curves of the staircase, aged plaster walls and old wooden stairs. This one is due on December 16th, so I have to get going on it - I plan on working more on it this weekend. Thankful The list could go on for miles... but here's a quick list of what (and who) I am thankful for this Thanksgiving, 2008- Lyrics to the "song of the moment" What a beautiful place for a retreat - nestled north (I think it's north?) of the Golden Gate Bridge, we were at Point Bonita YMCA - bunkbeds, staying up late, knitting and learning... The grounds were beautiful - we saw deer, racoons and even a skunk (who was cute!) - I was enamored with the fog, cool temperatures, drizzle, moss and atmosphere - it's not what I'm used to in Los Angeles, that's for sure! a short and easy hike down the pointe brought us to this big steel door through the mountain - it is the entrance to the path that leads to the lighthouse - and is open only a few hours a day a few days a week - I loved the rust colored algae or rust or whatever it is around the door - the color was so beautiful! I tried to get a photo of the bridge at night - and while I was very still (sat my camera solidly on a post, set the timer, did long exposures) I didn't take into account the mist and fog in the air... it's fuzzy because San Francisco is a bit fuzzy - it's misty and hazy and foggy and I LOVE it!! Poor Darrellllll... (founder of menwhoknit.com) - when are ya gonna get out of the brigade? :) a view from inside a part of the brigade (used for WWII I think) - not sure what this really was, but we thought it'd be a great place for a bar or dance club - that is; if they'd put up some railings... Mr. Farris again taking great photos of the city and the bridge... me and my buddy Michael - he helped me immensely with my circular sock knitting machine... (and he MADE a pair of socks on his while doing so!) - see that sweater? he made it - an insanely talented guy - can't wait to learn more from him and the other guys next year! and last but not least, Point Bonita Lighthouse - a beautiful spot... (and I got great cell phone service out there!) I know I didn't show much knitting on this post - but knitting WAS done - I just didn't photograph it... I got about half of the front of a sweater done, and took a few classes as well. we learned twined knitting, hand spinning on a drop spindle, freeform knitting/crochet, mosaic, and entrelac among other things. Wanna be involved next year? please do... just get in touch with the guys who organized it and they'll email you as it gets closer. WonderMike and HizKnits from Y Knit were the ones in charge this time -- amazing men - along with everyone who attended... we are still safe, but eek - I make one lousy post about preparing for disaster - and talk a tiny bit about how it's important to be prepared... then fires erupt all around us... (this is the view looking from our house across the street; fires are only a few miles from us in the hills you can't see because of the smoke) We are keeping safe and remain prepared (I was a cub scout for exactly one day) - if anything else happens near us I'll let you know :) I tried quilting once... Mom and I went out and selected fabric. we cut and pieced it by machine. She set me up with the quilt on the hoop and showed me what to do. I did 2 hoops worth of quilting and decided it's not for me. Quilting is "hard!" So, Grandma is gone - safely laid to rest. I'm back home from the funeral and from visiting family. It's always good to see my family - but it's sad that the only time we seem to be able to gather is at a time of mourning... Still, I was able to see family I hadn't seen in years and years so that's a good thing. I reconnected with my cousin Julie which is awesome! we made 2 large and 1 smaller arrangement in her honor and placed them in the funeral home during the visitation. We made the smaller arrangement with hydrangea and other flowers, and I cut wild sage from my sister's yard and put in that vase - it smelled so good! If you ever have extra flowers... and you don't know what to do with them... if you have a wedding, or funeral, or large party... and there are flowers abundant afterwards, might I suggest that you take a little of your time, spend a few dollars and get some plastic vases - arrange some happiness and make some random deliveries to a nursing home. It will be the highlight of your week; I promise. Here's a great photo of my Grandma and Great Grandma, along with my cousin - I think this was in the 60's and I think it is in Florida... this photo hung on Grandma's wall for as long as I can remember! While visiting, I had my share of sweet tea (I LOVE it and you can't get it in California at the restrurants.... and putting sweetener in it is not the same!) and we were able to stop at Cracker Barrel and get Chicken and dumplings! I have so many fond childhood memories. There was that cardboard box that sat in Grandma’s laundry room and was pulled out every time I came to visit. I knew the toys and coloring books were there waiting for me as we parked around the corner, and as I walked down the sidewalk past her rose bushes and that white metal rocker to her screen door. I remember the moments right after my parents left – I would put my little suitcase in Grandma’s room and we’d talk about what I would like for dinner. After seeing this sweater that Grumperina made, I simply MUST make a vintage pattern by Mary Maxim but I can't decide which to do - I have these patterns... of course, I'm not opposed to modifying or combining the charts.... what do you think? This is the first buffalo pattern I ever bought - it's bigger than the one on the back of Grumperina's sweater - which is kind of cool - I could mix it with the same pattern she used... I may (or may not) want to use the "ground" that the buffalo is standing on... This is the glorious pattern that was the inspiration for the madness - I think it's way too cool! I could just knit it the way it is also... but while I LOVE the way it looks, part of me doesn't want to just duplicate what Grumperina made... she's pretty darn inspiring... and while I believe it'd be flattering, it's probably more flattering to use her craft posts as inspiration rather than duplicating her idea (although at the end of the day, I guess she really just made a pattern from 1957; it's not like she designed the thing).... ... and then there's the fish sweater - I was thinking of doing this one and putting a border on the bottom of it perhaps of fishing lures or something (knitted pattern, not actual lures!) - keep in mind I'll probably (definately) change the color of the pattern to whatever I want... most likely I'll want to do something a little less "contrasty"...(is contrasty a word?) :) Last but not least, my FAVORITE - the seahorse sweater - I think it's a bit gay - but I really think it's cool - if anyone has ideas of a color mix that might make this more "hip" and less "homo" speak up - it's my fav... I think it looks sort of western - like a cowboy shirt... and if I can figure out how to do it and it be a little less "obvious" then it's probably what I'll do... These patterns are all so amazing - such great graphics - Mary Maxim has tons of them (these I believe are all from the mid/late 50's) - and I think that knitted in good wool they'll be awesome! - browsing Ebay you'll find a lot of them available - as well as on oldcraftpatterns.com - Craftyminx tagged me - so I'm doing my duty :) she's super cool - go check her out! |
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