snowy day

Winter is beginning to look like it is here.  The Christmas cactus wreath blocks are brightening up the gray days.  The Christmas decorations are coming down and we are preparing for the new year and my eldest's 30th birthday.  Only  a few days until then.  There may be a night out at the new Chinese buffet on New Year's Eve and a dozen English dvd's await a marathon of movie watching.  Wishing one and all a lovely, peaceful and happy new year!

The gifts are all opened

The shrimp quiche loaded with asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, peppers and onions is halfway gone.  The roast with all the fixings is in the oven, with potatoes, onions, carrots, asparagus, artichokes and celery, with rosemary and parsley from the last of our summer plants and a bit of thyme as well.  Alongside is a figgy pudding with great handfuls of figs, dates and walnuts encased in buttermilk and molasses batter scented with nutmeg and cinnamon.  Now we rest for awhile until we sit down to eat.  Blessings to all.

Merry Christmas to all!

Lovely sunrise, just below freezing here.  The house is stirring and the presents await.
Wishing everyone a lovely and peaceful holiday.

wacky winter solistice

59 degrees and sunny, I saw a neighbor in shorts, rollerbladers, bikers, joggers, walkers, people just out soaking up the sun!  This is not the norm for around here, but it is lovely!
Did a bit more shopping as my New Year's baby's 30th birthday is coming up right after the Christmas holidays.  Finally saw men out shopping in the department stores, I guess they are convinced Christmas is coming now.  Working on a wooly vest, almost done, and starting a cactus flower wreath quilt for the holidays, though will probably be next year's and was started last year's, but progress is being made.  Tomorrow is the big grocery shop for the holiday feasting, we have cookies and candy galore, thanks to many lovely co-workers of hubby, so just need to lay in a standing rib roast and veggies and bread.  Hope everyone has a lovely winter solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year!

halfway through the month

How can that be, I have finished the flannel crazy quilt and a knit hat for a gift and am working on a wool vest from Chelan blue heather wool.  The house is ready for Santa, gifts are piling up under the tree, thinking about the season today I realized, the Christmas story is one of love, faith, danger, betrayal, a story as old as our lives.  A time of hope, a time of acceptance of miracles and dangers and of the gifts of life and death.  No wonder we have opted for the jolly gift giver as the symbol of the season in this time of denial and gloss, the real story is pretty scary to confront.  Yet the gift of new life holds great joy and we all deserve a time of joy and peace and love as well as the harder realities of life.

Birthday

Spent the day in Gettysburg for my birthday, lunched at Cafe St. Armand with hubby and son, browsed in a few shops while my son took photos of shadows and sunlight.
Visited the Manning's fiber arts studio after a drive through the lovely countryside to celebrate another year's circuit of the sun.

Bought some beautiful fibers and a new drop spindle to create more yarn.
Thank you to all who sent special wishes and who joined me in making the day special!

New month, December

It used to be the 10th month and so named.  A glorious day here, warmish and sunny, tomorrow an outing is planned to celebrate my birthday, how lovely.  Wishing everyone peace and happiness.
The work continues a golden wool hat is about 7 inches long now, working on the second to last row of the crazy quilt and the woolen vest is starting to take shape.
All my books read and returned to the library, more await.

New inspiration

Always so many ideas percolating, thinking about knitting now.  Reading Casting Off I am considering a sampler of gansey patterns, each on large needles to really show the various patterns.  Also working on a divination series to follow the Labyrinth series of last year.  The ideas come fast and furious but the work takes the time it takes.  Also working on a series of vests, starting with a crocheted woolen a-line one modified from a jacket pattern.  The flannel crazy quilt is progressing nicely only 4 and a half more seams to stitch and then to the binding.  The stack n' whack setting has not been fully realized as yet, keep playing around with different options.  And my square in a square quilt still has 3 more rows for the initial basting.  It is a dark day here for photos, but maybe tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

A lovely morning in south central PA, clear and cool with a touch of frost.  The newspaper was so heavy the carrier had to get out of his car to lob it over ours this morning, where it hit the pavement with a very satisfying plop.  The cat had her breakfast and the squirrels theirs.  The birds were singing at their feeders as well.  The family is slowly rising and some going to sleep, looks like dinner will be late afternoon now, the turkey is still waiting in the frig.  The pumpkin and pecan pies are resting on the counter.  Peace and abundance wished to all.

Rain, rain, rain

Wow, as if we have not had enough for this year and the next almost already!  Started a vest with some new wool that arrived yesterday, fun!  Continuing to add rows of fancy stitches to the flannel quilt.  Did all sorts of errands today to make me enjoy when I could be home stitching, hooray! The vest looks like half a wide belt so far, so not much to show there, will add more photos of the fancy stitching when there are a few more done.  To start drying out tomorrow and we are to be blessed with a couple of sunny days to follow, yippee!

Photos!

Work in Progress! A small array of stack n' whack blocks and one close up.

The herringbone stitched flannel block and the fly-stitched following.

Saturday morning

The cat is fed out on the porch, the sky crisscrossed with jet trails.
Banana nut, flax, oat bran muffins in the oven, chickadees on the grape vine, time to buy seed for the winter.  Planning the fancy stitches to quilt the flannel lap quilt with, so far herringbone and fly stitch, deciding what the next will be. Awaiting a yarn shipment to start some vests.  Another bat of organic cotton put by for the tropical quilt.

Sunny Friday

We keep meaning to take those photos, but so much else to keep us busy!  3 quilts in the quilting stage or at least 2, still working out how to set the class quilt.  One afghan in process, one hooked rug, numerous embroideries, and that is the very short list, lots more out there as well.  However the fall cleaning is almost done, just kitchen cabinets and furniture to oil, and a few project nests to be straightened and then the cooking and decorating will begin!  Off to get more quilting supplies when the stores open, and maybe if we are lucky photos this weekend.

Stacked and whacked

I fiddled and fooled and goofed, but everything still seemed to come out ok, if my sewing blocks together today is any indication.  Only goofed up sewing one block together so far and I cut 4 extra so looks like things are ok for now.  6 blocks sewn and 12 to go, pictures, I hope to follow.

Looks like I am a foul weather blogger...

When the weather is fair I get busy with other things, when it rains or snow I sit down and add a post.  However today is lovely, sunny and brisk, most of the snow has melted.  The Moorish tile afghan is on the bed and aids a lovely sleep.  The flannel flying goose quilt is finished to row 3, 2 more to go before we start adding sashing.  The stack n' whack is ready to stack for this week's lesson.  Photos are probably upcoming this weekend.  And it looks like a nice week ahead, so the posts may be sparse.  I did get my hardwood floors cleaned and polished yesterday, hooray for me!  And the tile floors are on the list for next and hopefully polishing the kitchen cabinets the next so I shall be ready for the Thanksgiving feasting and the quickly approaching holiday season.

SNOW!

Record setting, most snow ever in October for here, kind of a mess yesterday, breaking off tree branches, but sunny and melting today, hopefully the power will stay on now.
Almost finished the mosaic tile afghan, but when I went to finish the last row I realized I was one tile short.   Fortunately, I could make another, so maybe tomorrow that one will be added to the last row.
I need to get out and find material for my stack n' whack class, this will be my 4th or so trip out to find what I need, hopefully this time I will be successful!
More on that to follow...

The calm before the storm.

A gorgeous day here in central PA but lots of snow in the forecast for tomorrow.  Sooo, spent the morning stocking up on bread and books, dinners and treats, just in case.  Finishing my class with Lyric Kinard and starting the next with Bethany Reynolds, both at Quilt U.  These were inspired by my summer class with Regina of Creative Kismet.  The other projects are coming along, 5 rows quilted to the backing from before and 4 rows of the crocheted afghan assembled, 104 flying geese sewn out of 120, things are coming along and finishes are in sight, photos to come!

Crocheted Moorish tile octagons

Working on these in worsted weight cotton, more to follow.

Squares in process

A photo of the quilt in progress, lots of fun colors and patterns

Oh my , flooding!

Looks like we are headed for the wettest year on record, oh my.
We are fortunate, just some water in the garage and basement for now.
Still quilting and crocheting, pictures to follow.

Wow it is wet!

A brighter dawn fooled me, now it is a deluge, streets are flooded but the backyard is a gorgeous emerald.
Hand piecing a fun little quilt, square in a square in limes, oranges, blues and yellows.
Crocheting a Moorish tile afghan, which I just ordered more yarn for because I under-ordered the first time.
Photos to follow hopefully.

September 6, 2011

It is a splishy, splashy day, seems like a good time to start posting on this blog.
I love exploring quilt and crochet and other creative blogs.  I am hoping to start posting photos of my work as well as sharing all the creative things happening in the greater world.