Fiberarts

what I have been up to lately ( pictures coming later)

2011-12-31T07:41:00.006-05:00

This fall has gone by so quickly! I have been working a lot as a home health aide, and a CENA also for home care & hospice, filling in when the regulars have days off. It is going well, but working every other weekend is something I will have to get used to.

Our daughter brought home a new kitten a month or so ago, and she is growing fast and getting along with the other pets around here. I wasn't sure about keeping her, we already have 2 cats and a dog, but she has become part of the family already. Our other 2 cats don't get along very well with each other, but both of them like the kitten, who's name is Alice. The dog even plays with her, although it was frightening at first to see the tiny kitten rough-housing with the dog who is so much bigger and stronger. But so gentle with her and our grandson, we are lucky to have her in our lives.

Alice chewed the drive band for my spinning wheel, so it took awhile to fix it. It's a poly band, so after reading online how to repair it, just melted the two ends back together, and now keep my wheel in a safer place! Am working on some coopworth now that is practically spinning itself, it's so easy to spin.

During the time the wheel wasn't usable, started working on some hand embroidery. Bought these stamped quilt blocks in Branson when I went there with my Mom last spring. I will post pictures later, we had a hard drive crash a week ago and I can't edit & save photos, it goes to paint instead. Will have to wait until my husband wakes up to help me.

My husband surprised me with a tablet for my birthday, and am enjoying downloading e-books. The internet on it isn't very fast, but it works well enough during a hard drive crash to keep me in touch with facebook, sparkpeople and email.

We had lots of fun with our Grandson this Christmas, he had fun opening presents, and spending time with family on Christmas Eve. He recently rode on a dogsled, too.

Wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous new year, I am making a resolution to be more organized, and keeping in touch more regularly with friends and family.

Fall 2011

2011-10-23T12:09:00.007-04:00

Here are Matthew and Lori at the Ghost Train event. We rode in the cab, thanks to my husband, who volunteers driving the steam locomotive on weekends!

This is the purple/pink wool dyed last fall, picked and ready to go to the the fiber mill. The plan is to blend the two together, and see what comes back.

More picked wool dyed with the color Cypress.

A friend's daughter is pregnant with twins, so this will be one of two baby sweaters. The yarn is Bernat Softee Baby, and the color is Soft Fern. Click here for the pattern.

White wool yarn hand painted a few weeks ago. Hope to make some kids socks or hats out of this, very colorful and cheerful.

End of summer blues

2011-08-29T15:33:00.003-04:00

Finished Matthew's sweater coat, it got a 4th place in the fair last weekend. Hope it fits him. Also received three blue ribbons, for the pink and yellow handspun, a blue green handspun medium wt, and the miniature african violet was blooming, so entered that.

Ended up passing the state CNA test and got hired as a home service aide. Am not using my CNA training much but right now it is working out well, and best of all no midnights! Am not sure where this will take me, but it's time to see what is out there and what path I will follow next.

A friend came up for the weekend to visit, and we spent some time spinning, she was very interested in learning about fiber, and I was more than happy to oblige....

What's new around here?

2011-07-24T12:17:00.012-04:00

Here is the finished yarn from the pink and yellow roving in the last post. It was wonderful to spin, I plan to ask if I can buy some more from Joyce on Wed, we are dying wool!!! Have missed our Wednesday spinning meetings a lot, work tends to interfere with things some times.

I was hired as a CNA at a nursing home that is adjacent to a hospital, but didn't make it through the orientation period. Wasn't the right person for the place, so will keep looking for another job. Something will come along, but for now I am where I need to be.

After three months of work/school, and a month of intensive training and work, my house is in need of some TLC, and catch up on family time, too. Our youngest daughter is having her tonsils taken out on Tuesday, and recently we lost a close friend that I wasn't able to travel to the funeral with my family, due to work policy. Also my state test is scheduled for Aug 3rd, will be practicing the clinical skills for that.

This is a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern for a bulky top down sweater. Made from Wool Ease chunky and size 10 needles, it is a fast and relaxing knit, just what I needed. It is for our sweet grandson, hope it fits ( size 2-4).

Part of the house TLC includes painting the kitchen. I have resisted painting because of these stencilled borders, just couldn't give them up, but it's time for something different. The birdhouses were over the kitchen sink and cupboards. The new paint is called Sugared Melon Crush. Today will be the day to cover the stencils with Kilz and have my husband take down some thermostats. Then tomorrow the actual painting can start.

These went around both ends of our kitchen.

These little borders went over a wainscoting of sorts, a wood grain panelling that needs to be replaced one day.

This was taken on the 4th of July, the wind picked up and everything started looking very ominous. They blew away almost as fast as they got here, fortunately.

Taking a break

2011-06-13T21:34:00.004-04:00

This roving was a Christmas gift from my Mom, started it today for fun, taking a break from the blue sweater. The second sleeve is about 1/3 of the way done, have been working on it, just needed a renewal today.

Here it is on the bobbin, don't have any idea what to make out of this yarn. Might need some more for socks, or mittens. It is Joyce's wool, dyed then sent out to a mill, probably Zeilinger's, they do the striped rovings I believe.

Had a job interview Friday at the place where I messed up the online application, waiting to hear from them. They will let me know, was there an hour and a half and answered many difficult questions. Some of them not very well, but it was a good experience overall.

Just a little bit of catching up

2011-06-02T18:54:00.011-04:00

This is what I have been doing for the past 8 weeks. It has been 28 years since I have been in a classroom, and am really enjoying it! Having a little trouble remembering medical terms, but will just have to work harder... Monday is the final exam, clinical skills test, and graduating! After that, we can take the state board test.

In the meantime, I have turned in applications, and am hoping to hear from somebody soon. One place I went to handed me an application and when I turned it back in was told that they don't take paper applications anymore. Would have been nice to know that earlier. After going to the web site and making an account, the site was having technical difficulties and sent my form in incomplete. They sent a confirmation email, then another email stating that it was incomplete and to resend. Okay. Wonder if I'll get that job?

Here is the sweater coat, still working on it. Wish you could feel how warm and heavy it is. Probably will get lots of wear out of it with our long cold winters.

Mr. Greenjeans, a better picture than the last one! So nice to see green grass again. This will be a fair entry if it's done in time. You might notice a blurry spot in these photos, it is from my grandson playing with the camera. Didn't realize it was there until now, and just wanted to spend a little time blogging tonight then get back to studying so it will have to wait. Matthew's birthday party is Sat., he will be two. Where did the time go?

Bleeding hearts, much bigger this year, and lots more flowers. They are in a mostly shady spot, with poor soil but it seems to like it there...

The primrose are bigger also this year.

One lone pansy that survived the winter and came back.

April

2011-04-17T21:00:00.005-04:00

Here is Matthew after getting his face painted at an Easter event for kids. He didn't want to play the games, just wanted the chocolate! I know how he feels...

Enjoyed weaving this one, it went fast, and is only about 24" x 27". Some strips I had sewn awhile back, and just enough to use up the leftover warp. Time to warp again, with colored warp this time and play with some placemats and chair pads for our kitchen. Starting a new adventure tomorrow, will update later.

accomplishments

2011-04-03T10:12:00.011-04:00

Latest progress on the greenjeans sweater. Am enjoying the cable section, tried working without a cable needle and it's pretty easy.

Here is another shot of the blue rug, am looking forward to finishing these, but it will be the last batch of consignment weaving for the church group. They aren't meeting anymore due to lack of members and helpers.

Two different rugs, same colors.

This will be the last rug, also did placemats of this awhile back. They wanted to use up what was left, not my favorite, but will get it done.

Here are some daffodils coming up. First year for these, hope they do well. We will find out if it's really true that deer don't like daffodils.

How resilient they are, we are supposed to be getting a winter storm tonight with 3-5 inches, hope it doesn't affect these too much.

Five minutes here & there

2011-03-12T09:34:00.015-05:00

Our youngest daughter on her 17th birthday.

Grandson at the party, he loves straws!

Friend's entry at the outhouse races. They already have ideas for next year's model. It was a fun weekend reconnecting.

Finally finished this one, will be starting the next one today.

The blue handspun sweater. The bottom needs adjusting to fit the zipper, so was left on the needles. Will need at least two more skeins spun up to finish the other sleeve, collar and bottom ribbing.

Mr Greenjeans, made progress on it during the weekend away with friends.

Some corriedale top I bought at FiberWhims last Sat. Can't wait to spin this, am getting a little tired of the blue, but looking forward to finishing the sweater! The shop is open during the week now, also.

Gauge is off

2011-02-13T09:07:00.003-05:00

After a good start on the sweater, checked the gauge and found it's off, need to swatch again with smaller needles. Am not sure what happened, unless the metal needles caused me to knit with less tension? Will swatch and start over again.

Always time for knitting

2011-02-12T22:41:00.006-05:00

Yes, there was time for knitting today, even with the sunshine and warmer temperatures. Was I out in it? Yes, skiied about 7 kilometers today,even went on a trail I have never been on, never thought I could go that far. De-iced the back steps while the sun was out, vacuumed, cleaned a bit and while everyone was away doing their own thing, had some time for me.

Started this sweater tonight, having run out of handspun for the blue one. It has been in the works for awhile, couldn't find the right yarn for it. After some looking around, found this in of all places, the scrapbooking store in town. It's Wool-Ease and the gauge was right on.

Am having trouble with the needles,too slippery. Usually bamboo are my choice, but they didn't have them in the store so gave these a try, but on Monday will probably pick up some bamboo circulars .

Here is a close-up of the yarn over increases for the shoulders, it's another top-down cardigan. Here is a link to the pattern if you want to check it out.

Blues

2011-02-10T06:52:00.003-05:00

Made these toddler mittens for Matthew, they are doubled strands of Wool-Ease from the stash. Didn't want wool, so his mom could throw them in the washer and dryer. The pattern is here, if you want to take a look. Also would like to make a pair of felted mittens for him, probably about a 4 year old size, then slightly felt them.

He won't leave mittens on, so they go through a lot of them, and in our climate he needs them, especially with the recent weather we have been getting. Single digits, with high winds, very low wind chills and blowing snow. It is supposed to warm up for the weekend, so there won't be much knitting going on here, I'll be out on the ski trails and making up for missed dog walks.

Here is an update on the handspun sweater, it is coming along. Have one more skein of yarn left, then have to finish spinning up some more of the yarn.

Photos

2011-02-07T23:38:00.003-05:00

Here is the latest rug, still on the loom.

Our daughter took this one of our grandson, seems he wanted to do some baking....and now you know what I have been doing instead of weaving.

Weaving and knitting

2011-02-03T21:13:00.004-05:00

Just finished sleying the reed and hope to start weaving in a little while. Had to come upstairs and warm up! It's pretty cold downstairs where the loom is...

Also finished up three more skeins of the blue yarn for my handspun sweater. Have about 8 more inches to knit for the body of it, then the sleeves and collar. Can't post any pictures tonight, for some reason when I try to edit and save photos, it goes to paintshop instead. I can't wait for Saturday, it has been one of those weeks, although a nice thing that happened was a friend invited me to join her to demonstrate spinning and drum carding last weekend at a festival. We had a good time, and people are always so interested in what we are doing.

Time to get back to weaving, will post pictures soon.

knitting, cooking, and a dog

2011-01-22T18:43:00.016-05:00

Started the back of a baby sweater today, click here for the pattern. The yarn is Bernat Softee Baby in mint, but it looks blue on our monitor. Still finding projects to use up the leftover yarn from Matthew's log cabin afghan. Wish the texture showed up better,even a closeup didn't show it well, you'll have to go to the pattern site to see it. Lots of purling, which isn't a favorite but so far it is a fast knit. Stopped at the point where you are supposed to place markers for the sleeves.

Still working on the handspun sweater, have one and a half bobbins spun, and should finish the second bobbin by tomorrow night at the latest. A day for the yarn to dry, then back at it. Anyone else have multiple projects going lately, and what are they? Would love to hear what you are working on.

Tonight's dinner,lasagna. It's been awhile since we have had it, and sounded so good at the grocery store. Good and filling for the weather we have been having lately. Lots of snow, and zero degree temps will zap anyone's energy.

This is pseudo sourdough bread, click here for the recipe. It didn't turn out like I expected, but it made a soft, tasty bread all the same. I didn't use a bread machine, though; used the mixer to mix and knead the dough,let rise, then baked in the oven along with the lasagna.

This is my walking buddy, Noel. aka Alice ( Cooper) She found us at the humane society last summer, and has been entertaining us ever since. Every day we walk, unless the weather is too nasty. She loves running up the snowbanks, which are 6-7 feet tall at this point and will get higher.

Some progress on the handspun sweater

2011-01-10T21:01:00.008-05:00

Here it is after 4 skeins of yarn are almost used up. Time to make more, there is plenty of the roving left. I will probably get started on it Wed. at our spinning meeting. Also have another baby's top down pullover on the needles in a dark rose color, and it's time to weave rugs, also. The shuttles are wound with rags, and waiting for me, just don't have the inclination to get down there right now.

I taught a group of knitters how to make stitch markers a few weeks ago. We had a pot luck, lots of knitting and fiber talk, what could be better than that?

Finished a rug

2010-12-03T08:12:00.008-05:00

Closeup of the rug still on the loom.

Here's the finished rug,made a mistake on this one. Serged some of the rags with the seams straight across and the lumpy seams came through on the back of the rug. Have since learned from Rugtalk that they should be done on a diagonal, and will have to give that a try soon. It still looks very pretty on my floor in front of the back door. We go through quite a few rugs this time of year between mud and snowy boots it's always good to have another one. Of course the tension was perfect and there isn't any bowing at the hems, which usually happens with my rugs!

Our oldest daughter and grandson are moving back home for awhile, so am working on relocating my craft room. It's good to go through things, though. Do I need this? Do I have room to keep this? Do I really want this?

Earflap hats

2010-10-31T23:32:00.004-04:00

This one is for our 17 month old grandson. Wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a picture of him wearing it, he doesn't like hats, or mittens...

Another one, made from my hand spun, hand dyed wool yarn. You can see the yarn a few posts ago. Actually both of them. Click here for a link to the pattern.

Blue sweater

2010-10-28T00:07:00.004-04:00

Finished two skeins of the blue handspun and had to try it out. Ended up right on gauge for the swatch, so cast on this afternoon for the sweater!

Rug finished

2010-10-11T21:47:00.003-04:00

Finished today, it measures 27 x 68. Now to cut apart the strips and wind on the shuttles for the next one...

Weaving again

2010-10-11T05:48:00.004-04:00

This is a rug made from polyester pants. Another for the sewing group, they aren't meeting anymore, but there are still materials left here to finish up so there will be three more after this one.

I have committed to being in three craft shows between now and Nov. 23rd, so if you don't see many posts, you know why....

Some fall photos

2010-10-11T05:39:00.007-04:00

Blanket flower
Shell cosmos
Cosmos
Brockway Mt. overlook
Brockway Mt. overlook

Roving photos

2010-10-08T09:02:00.004-04:00

Here it is, back from the fiber mill! It ended up weighing 2.6 pounds, and there is plenty there for a sweater. Thought it would look heathered, due to the dark and light colors, but it is all blended uniformly.
Here is some spun up, it is very soft, and spins so nice! Not many lumps, or vegetable matter in there, I am really happy with it, and would recommend the mill to anyone, they did a great job. Can't wait to see how it looks plied, hoping to get the right gauge....

finshed the hand painted yarn hat

2010-10-04T20:51:00.003-04:00

Am happy with the way this yarn knits up, can't wait to see what the red/orange does.
My roving is done, can't wait to see how it turned out! Will pick it up on Wed, then post photos.

Seamless Baby sweater finished

2010-10-03T21:55:00.002-04:00

Finally finished, really like the looks of the ladybug buttons, with the yellow yarn.

Fiber mill update

2010-09-23T07:28:00.002-04:00

The blue roving should be ready in a week! They said it felt like there was dye residue in it, so there was a possibility it would need another washing. Can't believe they can get it done so fast, I was thinking maybe a few weeks at the least. Click here for a link to the sweater coat I will be making with the yarn, when it's finished.

Grandson, wool dying and knitting

2010-09-23T06:51:00.008-04:00

Was glad to get this photo of Matthew, showing most of his teeth. He usually closes his mouth and pulls away when you try to look, so this is a rare one!

This is a Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater, using some of the leftovers from Matthew's baby afghan. Bernat Softee Baby in yellow. Very soft and light. Click on the name of the sweater to get the pattern.

Commercially spun yarn dyed at Joyce's yesterday. Used Country Classics I think in Spring Violet, Kiwi and a turquoise. Will have to check on the last one. The top two skeins are Naturespun, and the bottom skein is Paton's classic. The Naturespun exhausted every bit of the dye, and the Paton's only had a trace of green left. Used 1/4 teaspoon of dye to about half cup of water, and syringes to apply.

Handspun corriedale in Gaywal Candy Apple and Tomato.
These are some baby booties I have been working on. Acrylic yarns, and the pattern is here.

Ready for the fiber mill

2010-09-20T06:26:00.004-04:00

This is the Corriedale wool I have been working on for a few weeks. Dyed, then picked to be sent out to the Stonehedge fiber mill. There are two 13 gallon kitchen bags full, hope it's at least a pound. The plan is to spin it, then knit a sweater coat out of the yarn. Can't wait to see the finished roving, and get started spinning. This will be my first large project that starts with raw wool. Will find a link to the pattern somewhere and show you the sweater,soon.

Random events lately

2010-09-12T09:38:00.007-04:00

Here is Matthew in the pool, his mother finally got him to try the floatie I bought for him! Wish it was still warm enough to go in there!

Our daughter's dog Noel, and Jimi.

My new serger and some rag strips sewn on it. My Mom found it with a free sign on it at a garage sale! It just needed some old thread pulled out of the bottom, rethreading, and I blew out a ton of dust and lint and it's good to go so far.

Ready for trimming and winding on the shuttles. There are two batches here, t shirts, and some cotton yardage.

Here is some wool I dyed at Joyce's house. Am working on dying more wool in an indigo color for a sweatercoat for me! Will post some photos of it next time, it is still drying.

Fair Entries

2010-08-31T08:39:00.004-04:00

Here are my entries for 2010: Trellis sweater, fulled mittens, two skeins of handspun, snowflower hat made from handspun,and a blueberry cake that didn't make it back home due to the heat! The plate is a silver plate award in the needlecraft division ( the most blue ribbons ).

FO and some flowers

2010-08-25T08:50:00.008-04:00

Here is another baby pullover finished on the trip. Ran out of the blue, so ended up buying a skein of Red Heart in a shade named Bananaberry for the collar.

Morning glories
Here are the unruly plants today, I like the wildness of it. Will do this again,although the cosmos were supposed to be taller, and support some of it.
Cleome, given to me by a co-worker.

Vacation

2010-08-25T08:40:00.008-04:00

We recently went camping in Minnesota for a week. Here are Paul Bunyon and Babe, in Bemidji MN.
Waterfalls in Gooseberry State Park
This is a restored steam engine they take out four weekends a year. I will put a link for more information about it soon.
This isn't the coach we rode in! It was for the very elite, and they had a charter group in it that day we were there. We were lucky to ride in the coach they used for a scene when filming the movie Iron Will, though.

Now what?

2010-07-29T08:43:00.004-04:00

Finished this yesterday at Joyce's camp. Wonderful spot, swimming, spinning, fiber discussions, good food and wonderful company. Next on the needles are felted mittens for me.

Trip to Dairy Queen

2010-07-18T10:14:00.005-04:00

Here is Matthew with his first cone. He knew right away what to do with it and had no trouble finishing the whole thing.

Sunday morning blog catch-up

2010-07-18T09:27:00.014-04:00

Here is the progress on the second Trellis sweater. Tried the sleeve in the round on double points, but didn't enjoy working on it that way. Had trouble with yarn and sts catching on the dp needles, and difficulty reading the chart. Kept making mistakes, as the chart reads back and forth, reversing the sts every other row instead of knitting in the round and doing the same thing. So, decided to take it out and do the sleeves flat and sew the seams. Was glad I tried that method, but sometimes you have to do what's enjoyable so the project will get done in a timely manner.

This is an update on the flower bed with the new perennials. See a few posts ago for some earlier photos of it. We have had an amazing summer here, lots of sun and rain, warm temperatures, even some warm nights!

These are the salvia, had no idea they would get so big so fast. They might have to be moved, they are crowded, in with the asiatic lilies.

This is a mystery plant, it was supposed to be a gallardia ( blanket flower) but it doesn't look like one. Any ideas? Don't think it's a weed. Will probably email the person I got it from, and will post her answer if I hear back from her.

The tomato plant is very tall, but just noticed the top doesn't look very well. Something snipped the blossoms off, I am guessing a deer.

The morning glories are sprawling all over here, will start training them around the tree trunk. There are sweet peas in there too, to the right of the photo. Also transplanted some of the cosmos seedlings.

This really needs some color, have some red impatiens and pale pink begonias to plant when I have a minute...A better shot of the cosmos, also.

A pink astilbe, it probably needs relocating, also. It is getting crowded by the hydrangea.

Plying & spinning

2010-07-11T09:02:00.008-04:00

Had the time to do some plying recently, this is a denim blue plied with a gray. Already spun, was on a bobbin clearing mission.
These were also spun already, just needed plying. There is one more little piece of this combed top left.
Have been wanting to try spinning coils for a while, finally tried it. Had trouble with overtwisting, and the coils didn't end up looking like the photo in Spin-Off but overall was glad I tried. Learned a few things, like it is possible to do textured yarns with my wheel after all ( a Kromski Mazurka), you just need to stop and manually turn the bobbin and take the textured part out of the hooks. The overtwisting wasn't as much of a problem after the yarn was washed and hung, either.
Didn't do a whole bobbin of this yarn, it was some green combed top in the stash, from the fiber of the month club from Fiber Whims. (birthday gift from my in-laws a few years ago)

This is how the extra thick/thin yarn turned out just plyed normally with the leftover blue yarn. Maybe there is enough for a little hat.
Now there are 4 empty bobbins, time to start working on some handspun to enter in the fair. Oh the possibilities...

African violet

2010-06-26T07:01:00.002-04:00

Had to take picture of this one, it's the miniature violet and so heavy with flowers that thay trail down to the windowsill.

Summer is here

2010-06-23T07:45:00.012-04:00

This is the round flower bed that was redone this spring, adding more dirt to raise it up, it was always getting flooded in the spring. Have added a knockout rose bush, 2 salvias, echinachea, 2 butterfly weed plants, a gallardia and some annuals in the front. Also transplanted some asiatic lilies.
Pansies are so bright and cheerful.
This is a perennial geranium, Splish splash.
Here is the front bed, transplanted a campanula,two columbine and the yellow pansies have been coming up for the last two years. I like the pink/yellow combination of the pansies and some pink petunias and salvias.
Morning glory seedlings.

A close up of the asiatic lilies, and some cosmos seedlings. Hope these are the shell cosmos, only two plants came up from the other pack of cosmos seeds so far, and can't remember which was which.

Baby sweater #3

2010-06-16T08:25:00.002-04:00

This is made from handspun, also. Hope somebody will come along that will use it, the yarn is a bit too prickly for a hat. I thought about knitting a liner in a soft acrylic yarn and making a hat, but this pattern is an easy one to work on in the car, or pick up and put down a lot. It's garage sale season, and this is what I took along last time...

Making things from handspun

2010-06-11T20:23:00.003-04:00

Started this little hat last night and finished it up this afternoon. Made from some of my handspun, there wasn't enough to make a larger project, so decided to try a baby hat. There was enough for the hat, with several yards left over.

another F.O.

2010-06-10T22:46:00.006-04:00

This is another baby pullover from the Knitting Pure and Simple pattern, the yarn is Lion Brand Pound of Love in lavender. I have made 2 of the 6 month size so far, and would like to make an 18 month size for my grandson in a denim colored yarn soon.

Had to buy another size 9 circular needle to make the sweater, and ended up with this pair. My favorite needles are wooden circulars and was upset to find that our cat Jimi ( my weaving buddy) had chewed up the one needed for this sweater. Well, as long as I needed a new one, might as well look for one with sharper tips, as the sleeve increases were very difficult to do with the bamboo ones due to being so blunt. These seemed to have the sharpest points so that was why I bought them, but discovered that the problem of stitches getting caught on the needle where it's connected to the cord wasn't an issue. Am not sure if you can see it in the photo, but they taper the needles, and the cord connection is very smooth. They are more slippery than wood, which is still an issue, but I would buy more of these, and they are less expensive, also.

So what's up?

2010-05-23T06:11:00.007-04:00

Our daughter and her family moved into their new apartment Wednesday, and it has been quite an adjustment getting used to the quiet! I have been filling my time with knitting projects and gardening. Hope you aren't getting tired of the gardening pictures,especially now when they don't have much going on yet. It is nice to put these up and look back to see how they have changed over time, and it's fun to just talk about it here.

Have decided to make another Trellis sweater, for a donation to our VFW Ladies Auxillary raffle next spring, when our chapter has to hold a district meeting. They need lots of items to raffle off so the sweater will go to a good cause. Here is the progress on it, made from Lion Brand Pound of Love, a very soft yarn that seems to want to split a little, and the stitches aren't as defined but it is working out well so far.

Here is another fruit hat I made a few weeks ago, and just now got around to putting up the photo. Going through my folder of photos, have made several of these, the only difference in this one is the green top is made from the neon green Red Heart. I like the effect of the bright green with the very dark purple. Love to play with color, that's the best part of weaving rag rugs...

Here is a closeup of a bleeding heart I bought last year. I put this one in and transplanted an older one last fall, and the older one didn't make it. This one seems happy in the location, so will leave it alone. The other one needed more room, it was in a small raised bed with landscaping cloth underneath, it was a mistake to put it there to begin with, but we learn as we go.
Here is a closer photo of the right front side of our porch. Two columbine, the smallest one has since been moved over to make room for a garden phlox. The tulips, rose bushes, a dianthus and some wild violets and forget me nots stuck in randomly.
The left front, creeping phlox, a rosebush that gets full of tiny red roses, two oriental poppies,a dianthus and two garden phlox, in two shades of pink. They have problems with powdery mildew, so after reading online about using hydrogen peroxide gave it a try, and hopefully caught it in time. The directions said to spray once a week for preventative, or more often to get rid of it. And to test on one leaf before spraying the whole plant, which so far hasn't had any negative effects.

Found these hanging solar lights at Family Dollar, they look nice on either side of the hand rails. They don't get full sun all day to recharge, but so far they work at night.

Early flower photos

2010-05-16T16:02:00.011-04:00

Here is one of the primrose in full bloom. After they are finished,I will put a few annuals in between them for some color.
A picture of the red and yellow tulip. The rest are plain, not frilly and striped.
The right side of the front flower beds, with creeping phlox, one bleeding heart, two full sized rose bushes and one miniature, and the pulmonaria ( lungwort). Tried moving it more to the left, but then it isn't shaded by the hand rail and wilted very quickly. Obviously not happy, so it was moved back in it's original spot this morning and looks better already...

The left side of the front, it also has tulips, creeping phlox, rose bush as well as two poppies, and two garden phlox plants. Will be putting in a delphinium next to the steps, and an echinacea behind the creeping phlox soon. Will be picking them up tomorrow, wonder if it's okay to plant them?
Side view of the front, will be taking more photos as things grow. Just wanted to document things early in the year, and will probably add another few on here soon, have to wait for the sun to go around the other side of the house and I can get clearer pictures. Also have to figure out what to do under the steps, the whole thing was originally grass, then landscape cloth covered by white marble rocks and potentilla bushes in front. Got tired of it and took it all out, but the area under the steps has a mind of it's own...

Another sweater

2010-04-28T22:19:00.004-04:00

This is the baby pullover pattern from the Pure and Simple patterns. Made in Vanna's Baby yarn in Ducky.

before and afters

2010-04-25T19:01:00.009-04:00

Here is Matthew wearing his sweater.

This is the yellow primula I planted last year, it will be blooming for the first time here.
This is the pulmonaria also planted last year, and below is this year's photo of it. At first I thought it was a weed and almost pulled it out. Can't believe it's the same plant, the leaves are so much smaller and it looks so different. The spotted leaves gave it away. Wonder how this happened?

My husband has been wanting to raise the level of this flower bed for years and finally had the opportunity yesterday. The sticks in the middle are an old rose bush that gives us huge pink fragrant roses. Cosmos are going in there, with a few annuals in front for color until the cosmos bloom.

a nice Saturday

2010-04-24T15:25:00.007-04:00

The weather is great here, today, I won't be inside for much longer than to write this post...That's where I have been spending much of the time lately. Either getting the flower beds ready, or out walking. Here is a great site for exercise and weight loss, and best of all it's free and safe. My username is KLABELL, feel free to add me as a friend.

The Trellis sweater:

and the back

Adding a zipper

2010-04-12T08:39:00.005-04:00

After discussing baby sweaters at work, came home with the suggestion of putting a zipper in this one. Had attempted to do machine buttonholes, that didn't work out. Even with a grosgrain ribbon sewn to the back to stabilize, it still slid around under the presser foot and didn't turn out anything like it should have. You can see a closeup below, the stitching is clear thread, and very dense. If anyone has any ideas *how* to get that out, it would be really appreciated. Status on the blue sweater: sewed first sleeve in, second sleeve 1/4 knitted.

Baby afghan finished!

2010-03-29T23:07:00.004-04:00

Finally finished the baby afghan for our grandson. One half is two strands of the same color yarn doubled, and half is a strand of color and a strand of white, to give a different look to it. Opted not to put an edging on it,the pattern called for an i-cord edging in white but it doesn't really need anything else.

Now the next thing to finish is the trellis baby sweater. You are probably tired of me saying that. After working all the ends of the afghan in, took the sweater along while visiting relatives tonight to work on. So it is getting closer to finishing. It helps to write about it, like a promise I can't break. After that, it will be time to finish warping the loom. The warp is wound on, just need to tie new warp to the old threads and pull through. Now I am heading over to Ravelry to post the finished photo.

Stitch markers

2010-03-23T19:51:00.006-04:00

These are some stitch markers I made today. Had fun playing with the beads, it's been awhile. The larger split ring markers are for a friend who recently started knitting again. She wanted them to fit at least size 15 needles, but they don't. Hope she still can use them, they were the biggest split rings I could find....locally. The smaller markers are for a co-worker who also recently started knitting again. Those rings are half of the ring and bar bracelet closures.

It was nice to take a break from working on the the baby afghan. It is almost done,a section is almost finished, then one more after that. Weaving the ends in shouldn't take long, then it will be back to the trellis sweater.

A day out shopping and other weekend happenings

2010-03-14T20:48:00.008-04:00

Yesterday took some time to get away by myself, went to town for groceries and stopped at the Good Will, Salvation Army and St. Vincent's. Saw this cookie jar, and had to bring it home, just like the real ones. Actually it reminds me of our cats,except for the white face.
This was another find, will have to check there more often. Spotted it when I walked back into the room where the cookie jar was.
Finally got around to taking a picture of the violet in full bloom. The snow is melting fast, and can see some of the perennials in the flower beds. It will be awhile before I can get in there and clean out and get things ready, but it is nice to see ground, mushy and squishy that it is...

Click here to see the web site for the first sled dog race in our area. My husband was one of the ham radio operators helping with communications, and I went with him to watch the teams cross the road.

Sunday drive

2010-02-22T06:23:00.006-05:00

It was a sunny day so we headed north for a ride. There isn't much ice on the big lake, but we did see some in the bay and harbor. Also saw a few ducks, and a pilated woodpecker.

My husband was in charge of the camera for these photos.

Finished this hat for Matthew while driving back home. He has outgrown the first one I made him! Used the same yarns, Cascade 220 blue, and Paton's Classic Merino for the gray, just a different strip sequence. He tried to pull it off his head the second I tried it on him. Oh well, he was interested in it during the knitting process at least.

Finished the basket

2010-02-15T18:13:00.006-05:00

Getting ready to lash the rim, this is the first time using zip ties to hold it. Much easier than clothespins!

Here is the finished basket. You can find the pattern here. While it was drying, I pinched it together in the center, so it would be narrower, and not so round. Didn't tighten the weavers enough and it bowed out quite a bit. Mine turned out shorter than the pattern,due to using narrower reed than what it calls for, but I used what was on hand and am happy with it. Also skipped the filler pieces in the bottom of the basket, someday will have to learn how to do that.....

What I bought today

2010-02-12T18:56:00.002-05:00

Wasn't going to look at these yet, but while grocery shopping was drawn in anyway and they came home with me. I am never successful starting seeds in the house. Forget to water, cats get into them, not enough light, I could go on. So will just plant them June 1st and hope for the best. Cosmos usually do well here, they had two different types, and the morning glories will be planted under the mountain ash and lilac bush, using them as supports. Saw that in Green Bay over the summer at the Botanical Garden and wanted to try it here. Also want to try growing them in a hanging basket near our back porch,cascading down by the back steps.

Wondering how the poppies, new primrose plants and other perennials are doing under their snow cover? Will finish up a basket tonight, and post a picture when it dries. Got the pattern from a very nice basketweaving site, also in my blogroll. Click here to go check it out.

Miniature African violet

2010-02-11T00:10:00.005-05:00

Here is a picture of this plant's second blooming. It's a miniature violet, and has grown quite a bit since the first photo I took awhile back. Will post another picture when it's fully in bloom. Have a bit of cabin fever right now, and the flowers from the violets are always a welcome bit of color when the garden is still months away.

Here is a way to compare the size, it is probably not going to get much bigger than this.

Weaving event

2010-02-05T08:50:00.003-05:00

Check this link out for information on a midwest weaving conference in Michigan during the summer of 2011.

Sweater update

2010-01-31T14:22:00.004-05:00

Have finished the front and back shaping and the shoulders. Haven't been accomplishing a lot recently, but that is changing. Every little bit of progress is encouraging, and this sweater started out as a can't put it down, can't get it out of my head one that lost it's momentum. Should be done within the next few days, though and then he needs another knitted hat.
Here is a closeup of the shoulder seam. Couldn't get the hang of kitchener st on purl sts, so just cast off knit/purl and sewed the seams. Am anxious to get this done while Matthew can still wear it.
Here is the first sleeve. Decided to go ahead and knit them flat instead of casting on and knitting in the round. I don't mind seaming, or weaving in ends. Finally was able to catch the color, the second and third photo are pretty close to the real color. The only thing different was to change the setting for close up, and not have the kitchen light on.

A fleece blanket

2009-12-27T09:33:00.003-05:00

This was a Christmas gift for my husband, who wanted a longer throw for our couch. I put his ham call numbers on it at work, then sewed it together here at home. It is reversible, gray and navy, with royal blue thread for the embroidery, and think it was melco block font.

It has been awhile since the sewing machine has been used for anything other than mending and sewing rag strips together for rugs. I used to enjoy making footie pajamas, doll clothes and dresses for my daughters, and am thinking about making some things for Matthew.

Haven't made much progress on any of the projects around here, added some links and a few blogs to the lists, and was happy to find a Facebook badge. Have been spending too much time on Facebook, but it is fun to look for people and play games. Feel free to add me as a friend if you are on there.

Baby sweater update

2009-12-13T07:00:00.006-05:00

Here is the progress on the Trellis baby sweater. Click on the name to see the pattern. It has been an enjoyable knit. So far knitting all three pieces at once has worked out well. Even binding off for the arms wasn't a problem, am looking forward to trying the sleeves in the round and reversing the shaping. Done in the six month size, and should still fit Matthew if finished soon. Am debating whether to kitchener the shoulder seams, or just sew them when it gets to that point. Wondering how difficult it is to graft the knit and purl sts? Anyone have any suggestions for online directions on how to go about it?

Tension box modifications

2009-11-30T22:49:00.003-05:00

Here is my tension box, in action. All the sections are finished now, in a very short amount of time.
My husband added a piece of scrap wood to the open end of the part that is supposed to secure it to the beam, so it can't fall off anymore. It works! No more trying to hold it on there while winding, and all the threads were lined up & stayed that way. Winding on was so very pleasant this time.

After

2009-11-28T09:40:00.003-05:00

The placemats and table runner were finished up this morning, really hope they are happy with them! The white border was a roll of precut fabric. It was wider and much stiffer than the blue, so it flares out slightly at the ends, but a trip through the washer should even it out. The idea to cut the white fabric thinner came after a couple were already done, so had to keep them the same.

Have some more placemats to do, then can play around with learning new things. Want to try another clasped weft rug, and learn to do a fabric inlay.

Black & white car mats

2009-11-27T22:51:00.004-05:00

There are two of these, 21"x 25". Finished tying the fringes and dropped them off at 9:30 tonight. This warp was trouble-free, it was so nice to advance it smoothly. My husband modified the tension box so it wouldn't fall off the beam. Will take a picture of it, and how it fits on the back of the loom soon.

During

2009-11-25T23:41:00.008-05:00

Here' s one of the placemats from the fabric a few posts ago. Just finished weaving them and the table runner this morning, and have to cut them off the loom and tie the fringes. Will post an after photo in a few days. It was a challenge in several ways, starting with my tension box falling off the beam repeatedly. I was very tired when doing this, it was late at night, also, but had to see it through.

One of the center sections was badly twisted, and every time the warp was advanced had to pull 5 strands out from under the wrapped warp. At about halfway through the table runner, one finally broke while pulling on it and ended up tying a loop on the end of it to hang a weight.

I am very glad this project is nearly finished, and as always have learned a lot from the process. The next thing to go on the loom will be 2 21" x 25" rugs in black and white for car mats! Will start out by cutting the rest of the twisted section out, rewinding it, and adding on some side sections of warp.

Baby photo

2009-11-25T23:28:00.003-05:00

Here's our grandson at 5 months old.

Hat

2009-11-04T07:14:00.003-05:00

This hat is going to a local coat drive for a veteran's hospital. It's the Dean Street Hat, made from Red Heart yarn. Click on the name to go to the pattern.

Before

2009-10-31T15:27:00.004-04:00

These are for an order of 8 placemats, table runner and wood box cover. Blue and white always looks so clean and inviting, am looking forward to seeing how these turn out. Just need to fix a warping problem on the loom, then can get to the fun part, the weaving.

Fruit hats

2009-10-18T19:26:00.004-04:00

A berry hat in a darker purple this time. Red Heart yarn.
An apple hat, seemed appropriate for fall, also Red Heart yarn, except for the light green which is Vanna's Choice baby yarn. These were fun to make, and didn't take long at all.

It's always nice to get flowers

2009-10-18T18:46:00.003-04:00

Had a birthday a few weeks ago, and these were a surprise from our oldest daughter. She brought them into work for me, so they had to go out on the front counter for everyone to enjoy.

Hat

2009-10-12T18:19:00.010-04:00

This is another hat made from the same basic recipe as the multi colored one. The yarn is also Encore Colorspun. Am not sure of the color names, they were on clearance and discontinued, so the tag said.

Couldn't resist adding this photo taken today in our back yard. We have maybe half an inch, but it is very picturesque. Don't mind the white blobs that are snow on the camera lens.

Knitted hat

2009-10-06T22:09:00.004-04:00

Finished a kid's hat for our craft table in Nov. Made from Plymouth Encore Colorspun,also picked up another skein in a royal blue with an orange streak through it. The next hat will be made in that color. It's a nice yarn to work with, 25% wool, 75% acrylic content. This is an easy way to finish the hats, with i cord then sew it down in a loop. No threading through the sts and sewing it closed...

Another placemat

2009-10-05T01:17:00.006-04:00

The reason these have been shown on the loom is because I don't finish them here. Its a group effort! A ladies sewing group cuts and sew the rags, recycling polyester pants, then tie the fringes after they are woven. T.P. filler between placemats, and drop off for the women to finish at their church sewing group. The finished products go to a few of the local consignment shops around here, or to individuals who wanted special orders. A nice project, helping quite a few people. Then it will be time to cut and sew rags for an order of blue and white placemats and table runner. Then rugs for a Christmas craft sale.

finished the hat

2009-10-03T16:41:00.004-04:00

Had to leave the earflaps off, it just barely fits our grandson! He seemed to like it when we tried it on him, typically he won't leave a hat on his head. The blue wool is Cascade 220, and the grey is Patons Classic Merino.

Warped, and a helper

2009-09-30T06:31:00.008-04:00

Talk about a photo op, Jimi likes to be involved in the activities that go on around here. Wonder what he's thinking right now, he looks so eager.
This is 22 yards of warp on the beam for the rest of the placemats. When winding, finally realized how the last one came up short. It takes two turns to make one yard, so last time, instead of having 20 yards, there was only 10.

Windy weather

2009-09-30T06:04:00.005-04:00

There was a high wind advisory Monday, so we went for a ride along the coast to check out the waves on Lake Superior.

Weaving frustration

2009-09-22T23:57:00.005-04:00

Is there anything more frustrating than running out of warp before the work is finished? Am not sure where my math error was, but instead of 4 placemats, there was only enough for three of this color after weaving the gold and black ones. You know where to find me tomorrow, warping and threading....

This is the table runner to go with the placemats posted a few weeks ago. You can see the pin and ribbon used for measuring. The runner was supposed to be 2 1/2 times as long as a 14" placemat, so it was moved up as needed.

Garage sale find

2009-09-06T09:32:00.003-04:00

Found this swift yesterday,can't wait to try it out, will be great for handspun yarn. Didn't want to stop at this sale, but my husband wanted to. It was the find of the day, or summer in our case, we don't go very often.

Baby sweater, revisited

2009-09-06T09:12:00.007-04:00

After finishing the back and two fronts of the Trellis Baby Sweater, found that the decreases for one of the front pieces was in the wrong place! Decided to start over on a circular needles and do all three at one time. You can see the new row counter, it was the best $3.24 ever spent.
This is the first attempt, am much happier with the circular knit one so far.

Fair entries, 2009

2009-08-30T17:54:00.010-04:00

This is the only photo not on here already, a doily from Magic Crochet magazine named Variety from the Dec. 1996 issue. It measures about 26 inches across, thought it would never get done! Had 4 entries this time, next year will enter more.

Placemat

2009-08-13T09:01:00.003-04:00

Finished this one last night, there is an order for 8 total, and one table runner. Measurements are 12" x 15". Sure would like to see the kitchen they are going to!

Nest

2009-08-08T08:30:00.003-04:00

This is a cedar waxwings nest. One of the parents are there, but no sign of nestlings yet. It is so late in the season, hope they do okay.

Rainy day flower pictures

2009-08-08T08:03:00.009-04:00

Have been wanting to take pictures of this rose in bloom for a few years, never catch it when the blooms are at their nicest, for some reason. Like the way the misty rain looks on everything today, behind the rose bush is a garden phlox that a co-worker shared with me last summer,and a new one bought from Pamida this year. The older one isn't blooming as well as I was hoping for, maybe it needs a while to establish? The trellis you see was supposed to have sweet peas and morning glories growing on it, but before they were planted, the wind blew all the pots over and scattered everything. Am going to put a jackmanii clematis on that trellis next year and start morning glory seeds in a hanging basket near the back door instead. It will cascade down near the back steps, and get the strong afternoon sunlight til late evening so they should do well there.
This is a side view of the round garden in the front, it isn't as dark out as it looks but I was determined to take flower pictures today, so this is what we get. With our long winters, it is nice to have these photos on here to go back and look at. Also hoping to document some of the perennials that are just starting. The large zinnias and marigolds came from Good Will, and are crooked due to their late planting. Will buy them again next year!
Here's a front view of the round garden in the front. It gets mixed sun & shade throughout the day, due to the big birch tree in the middle of the yard. The impatiens are doing well, they were planted late, also.
Am not sure where these pansies came from, I didn't plant them! They are nestled in right next to the big center rock.
This new rose bush was a Mother's Day gift, and was surprised it bloomed this year. The flowers are single,the color is pretty accurate for once, and the fragrance is wonderful! You can see the pulmonaria to the left of the rose.
This is a pulmonaria, just planted this summer. It is a shady perennial, so wasn't sure how well it would grow in the front yard, it gets morning and late afternoon sun.

Radio beams

2009-07-28T17:09:00.004-04:00

My husband ( a ham radio operator) put these together and built a nice system for raising and lowering the tower to the ground in case of bad weather or need repairing. If anybody is wondering where the fiberart content is: soon there will be rug and placemat photos, my loom is put back together and the warp wound on, just need to thread the warp through and do the prep work for the fabric.

Car Show photos(many)

2009-07-18T22:56:00.022-04:00

Spent the evening at a car show in Copper Harbor,with 200 cars, and this was the musical entertainment: a local band named U.P. Rising.

This was my favorite car, and it wasn't even in the show, just parked in the parking lot! Maybe it was the color,(pink) or just the style. They don't make them like this anymore, do they?

They were all in near perfect condition and spotless, so if you notice what looks like scratches or dings, it is my camera.

This won the best of show, and was built entirely from scratch, not a kit. Certainly deserves the title and more.

Fawn

2009-07-16T20:32:00.005-04:00

Taken in our backyard this evening. We were glad to see the doe and fawn out there!

Garden and yard pictures

2009-07-14T21:17:00.011-04:00

This picnic table is the backdrop for my finished projects during the summer. When we found muddy bear prints today, had to include them in the post.
Here's a closeup, not that it's easy to tell what it is.

This miniature rose is doing well in the flowerbed in the front yard, even though the soil isn't very good. The dark pink in the photo is actually red, and it is several years old.
Bought this Sweet William on clearance at Pamida last year. The blooms were worth the wait!

This is the second year for this campanula, am enjoying seeing the perennials come back and flourish.

All in bloom

2009-07-06T07:27:00.003-04:00

My favorite thing to take pictures of with the digital camera are flowers. So when all the african violets bloomed at once, had to take advantage of it, although you have probably seen all of these plants in other posts. Of course they'll be done before the fair for exhibiting, but that's okay.

One month old grandson photos

2009-07-05T16:44:00.008-04:00

Here is Matthew at 1 month old. He was awake, so Grandpa propped him up on the couch between the cushions to help him stay there. He was content for quite awhile. His first July 4th was busy, going to a few parades,out to breakfast with us, family gathering with Dad's family, and fireworks the night before.

Dean Street Hat

2009-07-05T16:33:00.006-04:00

This is a Ravelry pattern,click here if you'd like to see the pattern. Finished on July 5, made from Vanna's Choice yarn, in brown. The color is much darker than in the photo, but couldn't get the detail of the stitches in the sunlight.

Hat

2009-07-02T22:23:00.006-04:00

This is the Blue and White hat from the Kids Knitted Hats pattern book. Here's a link to the book. It has lots of cute hats in it, for ages 1 and up. Another one in Vanna's Choice baby yarn in the same colors as the berry hats. It's a pill box style hat, and if I made it again would use more contrasting colors. Am getting low on the lavender, anyway, time to move on to something else. Like getting the rest of the flowers planted, or setting up the loom and warping, maybe spinning or combing some wool.

New toy

2009-07-01T10:17:00.008-04:00

Found this on a local online yard sale site, an apartment size wringer washer. The motor wasn't working, but Bill got it running again. It is about 1 1/2 feet square by three feet tall total. There is no agitator, just a fan in the back of the tub to stir the water up, and a pump to run the water out. Or you can just drop the hose down to drain it. We have a hot water faucet outside, but it was a lot of work to wash wool out there in buckets. Now I can just roll this out there, plug in and fill with the hose. We just need some warm,dry weather to try it out.

Berry baby hat

2009-06-18T21:49:00.005-04:00

Finished the hat this morning, made from Vanna's Choice Baby. Nice and soft, looks bluer in the picture than actual. It's a gift for our friend's new granddaughter. She was born about a month before our grandson, so it should be the right size this winter. Started another one tonight just because the first one was fun to make.

Knitted baby socks

2009-06-10T16:56:00.010-04:00

These are the North Country Baby socks, and the yarn is my handspun, a corriedale that was combed, spun then dyed at a workshop at Joyce's house last fall. Started a hat with it, but it didn't look very nice; the repeats were short. The small socks were just the right project for the yarn! It didn't take much either, used up part of the skein on the far right. Might make some matching thumbless mittens with some of the leftovers.

Another baby picture

2009-06-06T06:43:00.002-04:00

New Arrival

2009-06-04T11:50:00.004-04:00

Matthew Evan, born June 4, 5:50 am. Weighs 7 lbs. 14 oz and 21 3/4 inches long. Kelly is doing fine.

Tulips open

2009-06-02T23:09:00.003-04:00

Here's another photo of the multi colored tulips open. They made it through the latest wind storm! On the left is my Mother's Day gift, a pink rose bush and in front of the tulips is the bleeding heart I bought. Hope it isn't too sunny there, it gets early morning sun and a little in the afternoon. Also you can see a small forget me not that came in a pot of mums that was given to me last fall. So far the mum hasn't come back, hope it does, it lived for two years in a pot before we got it.

Unwelcome guest

2009-05-25T07:18:00.003-04:00

There wasn't a lot of sunflower seeds left in the bird feeder last night,but it was enough to attract a bear. Last week it also pulled the feeder down, but the shepard's hook just moved in the soft dirt. This time it actually bent. Time to start bringing it in at night.

Tulips

2009-05-20T22:45:00.009-04:00

Pink tulips, and the plant in front is a garden phlox, a nice magenta color. Was happy to see it growing well there. Have another one to plant next to it, a light pink with dark pink center. The weather has been so extreme here the last two days. Yesterday it was in the 40's, and today it was 90. Set a new record. Last Sat it snowed. This flower bed had white marble throughout, and some bushes for a front landscape look. The weed proof fabric had failed,and it was time for a change. Now there is a shade garden on one side of the steps, and a full sun side. Bought another bleeding heart, and got a rose bush for Mother's Day, so it should be set for flowers.
These are multi colored tulips, not open yet but still wanted a photo of them in case the wind blows them over tonight!

Red, blue and purple handspun

2009-05-02T12:48:00.003-04:00

Don't remember what type wool this is, but the reds look a little deeper in reality than on the screen.

Jacob handspun yarn

2009-05-02T12:42:00.003-04:00

This handspun yarn is from jacob roving, another gift from Joyce. Have another bobbin started and enough to make one more skein. Click here to see what Jacob sheep look like.

I found another miniature african violet

2009-05-02T12:39:00.003-04:00

Bought this last night at the grocery store, was happy to find a mini; they are hard to come across around here.

Sign of spring

2009-05-02T12:36:00.004-04:00

What a difference a week or so makes. The storm didn't damage these crocus at all. All kinds of things are coming up in the yard, columbine, tulips, and at least one of the two poppies will bloom this season. Only the first of many gardening photos to come...