Needle Notes

Miss Piggy Rocks!

2012-01-31T14:38:00.001-05:00

Absolutely!

2012-01-31T13:15:00.001-05:00

My first attempt-----

2012-01-29T11:11:00.002-05:00

At the Chan Luu bracelets that are so popular right now. I do not like the square beads----when I put this on my wrist they tend to "pop" out of line a bit. The second bracelet I made is with a rounder bead (picture soon) and I like the way it lays on my wrist a lot better. I definitely will do a few more of these!

Another Shawl Completed!

2012-01-29T11:05:00.002-05:00

I started this shawl back at the end of last summer, but with all the distraction of the knitting group debaucle it took me a while to get back to it. This is knit from the Evelyn Clark book Knitting Triangles (out of print) and I used Saucy Cotton yarn. Of course, my stuffed animals all had to jump in the picture to pose......

I feel calmer just looking at these images-----

2012-01-26T12:43:00.000-05:00

Bottle Cap Jewelry

2012-01-26T12:39:00.002-05:00

I made these Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day pendants for my young friends. Quite easy to do, the bottle caps I use come predrilled with a hole and a jump ring, and I use epoxy stickers (I cannot be bothered with mixing up epoxy with all the smell and mess) to seal th imges.

Love the colours on these pendants.......

2012-01-26T12:34:00.000-05:00

Good advice:

2012-01-24T09:29:00.001-05:00

Source: beintheclouds.tumblr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Bunny knitting-------

2012-01-23T19:00:00.002-05:00

I've just started working on my Easter pendants, but I had to make this one first thing----the images are Beatrix Potter, and this little bunny is knitting. Yes, this pendant is for me!

I love this quote!

2012-01-23T13:01:00.000-05:00

Source: ravelry.com via scout on Pinterest

Grandma Rauch......

2012-01-23T09:25:00.002-05:00

My maternal grandmother, Minnie Rauch, died when I was 4, so I never really knew her except through stories from my mother and aunts. The older I get, however, the more I look like my mother's side of the family. I took a picture and scanned it in, played around with it on Print Shop to resize, and made it into a pendant. I'm very pleased with the results.

So beautifully written, I wanted to share it with you-----

2012-01-22T22:22:00.000-05:00

A Mountain I’m Willing to Die On

Love this quote:

2012-01-22T15:45:00.001-05:00

"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun."

- Mary Lou Cook

Another new craft-------

2012-01-22T14:33:00.003-05:00

Learned how to make these rolo chain bracelets yesterday----basically just weaving leather cord (the one below is teal, I also did one with purple cord---big surprise) in and out of three 7" lengths of chain, then threading the ends back through the loops you start with. Very classy look-----now I am in search of more chain to make some more...........

Hop to it!

2012-01-22T12:42:00.003-05:00

I loved Beatrix Potter books, so when I saw these images available for the pendants, I jumped right on them (or is that hopped right on them):

A closer look:

Yes, I will sell my pendants (if the image is available) for $6 each plus $2.50 shipping (because after the problems I have had with the Post Office, any sold pendants will be shipped with a delivery confimation). I can get multiple pendants in one padded envelope, so the $2.50 will apply to shipping up to 6 pendants. Just contact me through holyhormones@gmail.com and we'll figure it out!

Wearin' of the Green!

2012-01-22T12:11:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know St. Patrick's Day is almost two months away-----but time has a way of slipping by and I wanted to make sure I made these pendants to wear in the month of March. I'm also making them for friends, and since I am already mailing out Heart Health Month pendants to some of my out of town/state friends, I decided to give the Post Office fewer chances to screw up and mail heart/St. Pat's Day/Easter pendants all at the same time. I love the trendy look of vintage/steampunk:

And here's a closer look:

The Light of Day------

2012-01-22T09:47:00.002-05:00

I was browsing online last week and decided to check out what classes were available at BeadLush in Charlotte. I have taken a couple classes there before in wire wrapping and one in peyote stitch beading. Saw that there was a class for a beaded rivoli (that's the Swarovski piece in the center) pendant---(sigh).

Wish I had checked the weather forecast before I signed up, as it was a miserable 40 minute drive down and back. Oh, well. There were only two people signed up for the class, which was fine, very nice instructor named Karen. The lighting in the shop classroom was AWFUL and it increased the difficulty of the project two fold, perhaps even more. I ended up doing the bail when I got home, but overall I am very pleased with the results.

Would I do another one? Yep! At home, with an Ott Light (need to get one of the floor lamps if I am going to do this). In its own way the experience was a workout, certainly cognitively, and this morning when I got up, my back and hip are very painful-----I think from holding myself so stiffly yesterday trying to see the beads that I needed to guide my needle into........ All in all, I feel accomplished and I know I will enjoy wearing this piece.

What, me addicted? No way!

2012-01-20T17:46:00.003-05:00

No, these are not all for me (I already took 3 of them out and put them with my jewelry stash). I made these for my friends to celebrate Go Red for Women (the first Friday in February each year)----celebrating Women's Heart Health Month. I had to get them done a bit early because a lot of them have to be mailed off ------ and we all know how screwed up the Post Office is lately.

I know a number of you have asked for the directions to make these pendants. Next time I make a batch I will try to take pictures of the step by step process for a visual tutorial, but rest assured, there are a ton of tutorials online-----blogs, YouTube, etc. Just type in "glass tile pendant tutorial" and you'll be on your way. That's how I learned, and I have done some experimenting along the way to find what products and techniques work best for me. Fair warning, however, they are addicting!

This could be my next obsession!

2012-01-17T19:59:00.000-05:00

I don't even follow football, but this is hilarious!

2012-01-16T13:57:00.000-05:00

Isn't this a great idea for paint chip samples?

2012-01-14T22:51:00.001-05:00

Source: chicaandjo.com via Christine on Pinterest

I love this quote!

2012-01-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Chicago on Pinterest

You will notice ------

2012-01-13T19:44:00.002-05:00

That I have several posts to share today, they are short and each has one picture. I am now officially addicted to Pinterest, and this is the only way I can post my completed projects to the various boards I have created. If you want to follow me on Pinterest, click the link on the right side of this blog page.

Back to the beading table part 1----

2012-01-13T19:12:00.006-05:00

I know if I could just sit down long enough to organize the beading table, I would feel more inspired to work on my beaded jewelry. Sitting right now is a little tough because of a flare up in my back, but I wanted to donate a couple of pieces to the fundraiser for a friend of a friend. I bought this chain and focal piece a while back at Hobby Lobby, and then, forgetting I had purchased it, purchased a ready made piece very similar to this one. I really like the way this came out.....and I hope whoever purchases it will enjoy wearing it.

Back to the beading table part 2----

2012-01-13T19:05:00.003-05:00

This is my second beaded donation to Gina's friend's fundraiser:

I love black and pink together!

Baby booties completed!

2012-01-13T18:49:00.002-05:00

I started these booties back around the end of October, but everything got in the way and I finally, finally finished them yesterday. They are a gift for a fellow knittter's little grandson. The pattern is Christine's Baby Booties, which is now the only pattern I use for baby booties. They are simple to make (fussy, because they are knit on double pointed needles and the needles are size 1) but mommies tell me they stay on well. I discovered the pattern when I made five pair for Ciera Carr, and I have since made at least an additional 20-25 pair. Someday when I get myself organized (oh, that's just too funny) I am going to knit up a bunch and just have them on hand for gifts, instead of knitting them as I need them.

You will notice I am only going to post one picture per post today-----

2012-01-13T18:33:00.007-05:00

My friend Gina has been collecting handcrafted items (she knows a lot of very talented people) for a fundraiser (silent auction) for a friend with a health issue. I am always happy to help with this sort of thing, and so I packaged up 10 sets of note cards (5 sets of the floral photo ones---which made me long to get out in the garden to take pictures, and 5 sets of the papercrafted ones I did last summer when Karen generously allowed me to borrow her die cut machine for a week):

Katie and I made a road trip to deliver them today and have lunch with Gina and meet her beautiful daughter Kelly----so much fun!

Tainted Fibers: Ain't Too Proud To Beg...

2012-01-07T20:14:00.000-05:00

Tainted Fibers: Ain't Too Proud To Beg...: For a good cause! I have talked about my friend Sheila who is waiting for a heart transplant. She is still waiting. She has been at Duke ...

Happy New Year----Wednesday, January 5, 2012

2012-01-04T15:57:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone is getting a great start to their New Year----for me, it's been a good first week so far.

Yesterday I got the most delightful package in the mail, all the way from Argentina! Look at the goodies I got (and the pretty card is missing, I laid it down somewhere here in the condo). The yarn is angora. Carla, you rock!

I'm in the middle of several projects. I have finished one bootie (the pattern is Christine's Baby Booties). These will be a gift for the grandson of a knitter:

This shawl is made from cotton yarn, I started it last summer but it got laid aside with all the crap that went on last year. Time to get back to it, this will be perfect for wearing to the movies or other air conditioned places next summer (the shawl is for me):

The pattern is from Evelyn Clark's Knitted Triangles-----I'm so lucky to have a copy of this book, it's currently out of print. An important resource for any shawl knitter!

Lovethis fingerless mitt pattern - Oxford Fingerless Mitts (link is to Ravelry). I made these for my fitness instructor, Donna, and I made her a matching scarf last year.

My friend Sue in Florida sent me one of her cameras (she upgraded) and it arrived last week, can't wait to use it, so exciting! I made her a pair of slippers in bulky weight yarn:

I'm in cleaning/organizing mode too, so I am doing my spring cleaning early. Getting rid of anything I am not going to use, or that I don't love. I hope to move to the West Coast in the next few years (as soon as the housing market in this area improves and I can get rid of the condo) and I want to move as little as possible. The less stuff I have to concentrate on and keep track of, the more time I have for experiences!

I think that's most of the crafty stuff going on here. It sure got cold in a hurry here ---- Sunday it was in the 60's and the last two days haven't even reached 40. Brrrrrr. Ready for spring!

Knit Purl Gurl: Top Ten Reasons Knitting is Better than Therapy

2012-01-03T19:22:00.000-05:00

Knit Purl Gurl: Top Ten Reasons Knitting is Better than Therapy

2012-01-02T12:13:00.001-05:00

Source: abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com via Gill on Pinterest

17 Ways to Be Happier in 2012

2012-01-02T12:04:00.003-05:00

Jackie over at Just Stamp It (she makes gorgeous, creative cards, if you are a stamper or a paper artist of any kind, be sure to check her blog out) shared some great websites in her latest post, and I particularly like this site: 17 Ways to Be Happier in 2012. I'm going to post the list near my make up mirror so I see it every day!

Check out this giveaway!

2012-01-02T11:52:00.002-05:00

Many thanks to my friend Gina over at Tainted Fibers for this heads up ----- The Beading Gem's Journal is giving away a copy of The Big Ass Book of Crafts 2 (hell, I didn't know the first one existed---my bad), and you can find out more about it by clicking here. Be sure to tell them you heard about it from my blog, thanks!

I'll be back with another post shortly, I have been busy crafting but don't expect any finished projects, everything is in its WIP (works in progress) stage. I am very, very glad the holidays are over, and thankful that 2011 is behind me. I am expecting and anticipating a great year!

2012-01-01T14:17:00.000-05:00

Another Fresh New Year Is Here...
by William Arthur Ward

Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!"

I love this quote!

2011-12-28T17:12:00.000-05:00

"Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold -- but so does a hard-boiled egg."
- Anonymous

Merry Christmas, everyone!

2011-12-25T12:01:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, I don't celebrate the holiday season (I celebrate when it's over!). Usually on Christmas Day, I go to the movies just to get out for a while, but this year's holiday movie offerings are a little slim. I was thinking of going to see "War Horse", it's gotten some pretty good reviews, but it's 2 1/2 hours long------my back and hip are really tired today so I decided to just stay snuggled in the condo. I have barbeque chicken in the crock pot, so the house smells delicious!

I was up early, spent some time knitting this morning, but decided to get the sewing machine out for just a bit. When I was in CA I noticed that Ciera and Julian could use small stroller blankets, and my first thought was to knit them. After knitting their ponchos, however, I decided to take the easy way out on the blankets, and I got some really cute fleece at Hancock Fabrics. I looked all over to find some Thomas The Tank fleece for Julian, but no go-------so I went with the every popuplar Mickey Mouse (and this blue will match his eyes!):

A princess theme for Ciera (of course):

The blankets are approximately 28 x 22 inches, just enough to use as lap blankets when they are riding around in the stroller. They are double thickness, I stitched the blanket pieces right sides together, turned and then topstitched. These can also be modified by putting a large buttonhole near the center of the blanket for use in a car seat!

As long as the sewing machine was out, I decided to put together one of the Japanese Knot Bags (I had cut it out months ago, but forgot about it):

The longer loop on the bag goes through the smaller loop to close the bag and provide a handle. I love these for small knitting projects like socks or granny squares for my ever running market bags. I want to finish up a few of these and stack away for gifts.

I was fortunate enough to be gifted this pattern by the designer, Amanda Lalley (it's available for sale on Ravelry):

I've probably done at least a dozen pair of slippers from the pattern, and I have at least four pair for me, in both cotton yarns and acrylic. I used the scraps from another project to make another pair for my friend Stephanie in NY-----will get them out to her in the mail on Tuesday:

I'm thinking of perhaps "attacking" the beading table this afternoon; it's a mess and I have a bunch of pieces I would like to work on. I just put away the glass tile materials for a couple weeks so that I can concentrate on some other projects, I'll get back to them right after the first of the year. I also have a 12 x 12 drawer tower/organizer that needs to be put together-----nah, I'll work on that another day.

Whatever you are doing, whoever you are with, I hope you are having a happy, healthy and safe holiday-----enjoy this last week of 2011!

Ciera wearing her new poncho and accessories!

2011-12-23T08:14:00.000-05:00

An ensemble befitting a princess!

Ciera and Julian's Ponchos

2011-12-20T15:06:00.002-05:00

I realized when I was in CA visiting my little woman friend Ciera and her brother, my little man friend Julian (JuJu) that they lived in the perfect winter climate for ponchos---they have some pretty nippy days there, and the air is so dry that it makes it seem even colder. As soon as I got home, I headed to Hobby Lobby to get some I Love This Yarn (worsted weight) to make them ponchos and accessories. The picture quality isn't very good, I took the pictures early this morning with artificial light (the sun wasn't up so my living room was dark). Julian's is actually closer to a navy blue than this, and if you are wondering why he doesn't have a hat, he refuses to wear them!
Ciera early on in our visit told me that she loves pink and purple (and can't choose one over the other) so that made choosing the colours for her ensemble easy. The yarn is from Hobby Lobby, and it has sparkles running through it, fit for a princess of her stature.

Most of my other knitting has sort of gone by the wayside for a couple weeks while I worked on these, I mailed them out this morning. This week I hope to get back to my shawl knitting, and some beading, and maybe some more closet cleaning and organizing--------and I have 100 things I want to do this week!

Our mild weather has come to an end at least for a while, very nippy here today in the Piedmont. I've been out and about much of this week, movie and lunch with a friend on Sunday (My Week With Marilyn, highly recommend it!), and yesterday I had a lovely lunch and movie day with a friend and her three children. Today I worked out early, then went on a short shopping excursion and lunch (yes, eating out is a big part of socialization) with my fitness instructor and her daughter. Good to keep busy, makes the time until the New Year pass more quickly. I'm looking forward to 2012.

I will update again soon with more of my projects in progress-----enjoy the rest of your week!

A Knitter's Night before Christmas

2011-12-16T13:52:00.002-05:00

many thanks to Gina at Tainted Fibers for sending this to me!)

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
was unfinished knitting not under the tree.
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
'cause the heels and toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
but I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep; he was no help at all,
and the sweater for him was six inches too small.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my needlesto see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tripped over my yarn and fell with a crash.

The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
reminded me how much I still had to go.
Out on my lawn, I heard such a noise,
I thought it would wake both Dad and the boys.

And although I was tired, my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick!
What I heard then left me somewhat perplexed-ed,
for not a name I heard was what I expected.

"Move Ashford; move Lopi; move Addie & Clover;
move Reynolds; move Starmore; and Noro - move over!"
"Paton, don't circle round, stay in the line.
Come now, you sheep, you'll work out just fine!

I know this is hard being just your first year,
I'd hate to go back to eight tiny reindeer.
I peered over the sill; what I saw was amazing,
eight woolly sheep on my lawn all a 'grazing.

And then, in a twinkle, I heard at my door
Santa's coming across the porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet,
and as I turned round, Saint Nick I did meet.

He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toes
and his cloths were hand knit from above to below.
A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back,
and his toys were all stuffed in a aran knit sack.

His cap was a wonder of bobbles and lace,
a beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
The scarf round his neck could have streached for a mile,
and the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.

The backs of his mittens bore an intricate cable,
and suddenly on one I spied a small label.
SC was the duplicate stitch on the cuff,
and I asked "Hay Nick, did you knit all this stuff?

He poudly replied "Ho-ho-ho, yes I did.
I learned how to knit when Iwas a kid."
He was chubby and plump, a quite well-dressed old man,
and I laughed to myself for I'd thought of a plan.

I flashed him a grin and jumped in the air,
the next thing he knew he was tied to a chair.
He spoke not a word, but looked in his lap
where I'd laid my needles and yarn for a cap.

He quickly began knitting, first one cap then two;
for the first time Ithought I might really get through.
He put heels on the stockings and toes on some socks
while I sat back drinking scotch on the rocks!!

So quickly, like magic his needles they flew,
that he was all finished byquarter to two.
He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
and over his shoulder he looked back at me.

And I heard him exclaim as he sailed past the moon
"Next year start your knitting some time around June!"

I am very thankful for-----

2011-12-13T14:39:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know I am a bit behind-----Thanksgiving was last month!

I have very talented papercrafting friends, and I had to show off a few cards I have gotten recently. The first two are from my friend Caroline in DE-----this one was done with paper punches and then after the card front is put together, the whole thing was run through the die cut machine-----very cool!

This was Caroline's Thanksgiving card, it's beautiful!

Our friend Karen (Eeyore's girlfriend) outdid herself this year, and of course, L'Eeyore is just beyond thrilled that he is featured in the card----he's peeking out of a window wishing everyone a happy Fall season!

OMG, it is gorgeous here in NC today----temperatures in the mid 60's. My idea of winter. I did go work out, but I am largely having an "in" day to catch up just a bit. Keeping busy helps to make the month go by faster, I am so looking forward to January.

Enjoy the rest of your week----need to go finish watching my movie so I can get it back to the library this afternoon.

Amaryllis update!

2011-12-13T11:24:00.002-05:00

I swear you can just see the growth in an amaryllis from hour to hour----this one got to be over 2 feet high in less than two weeks! It is now fully bloomed, and the beautiful flowers remind me that spring is really not all that far away (here in NC, spring comes early, usually in the first couple weeks of March!) I am off to Walmart later today or tomorrow to get a couple more plants, I am really enjoying watching them this year. More later-----I am having a catch up day today, and since it is a gorgeous 60+ degree day here, I'm going to take a short walk later this afternoon. Enjoy your day!

Finally starting to catch up!

2011-12-11T11:22:00.003-05:00

CA was absolutely wonderful and will be a separate post (because I know you want to see a few pictures of my little friends Ciera and Julian!) Right now just a few random pics of life in general so you know I haven't been a total slacker lately!

It's finally gotten mostly cold (cold being a relative term here) in NC, so I have been busy knitting a few pair of slipper socks to wear around the house. The colour of this yarn just made me smile-----I don't know why, but for some reason it reminds me of a French poodle:

I also did a pair of slipper socks in purple and blue for my friend Michelle, I took them to her when we met in CA. These are a good "in between" project for when I don't feel like concentrating on a lace knitting pattern (I currently have three shawls on needles). These also make great gifts!

While I was in CA last week, Ciera and Julian's mom and I talked about keeping them warm, and we decided ponchos would be perfect (Ciera hates to be cold!). I started Ciera's last night and it is moving along faster than I expected, she loves purple and pink and can't choose between the two (typical woman). Julian's poncho will be in a nice manly dark blue------

I will get a picture of the poncho when it is complete, hard to get a good shot when it's on the needles.....

This is the extent of my green thumb, I try to get one of these amaryllis plants each year around this time-----this one is only about 2 weeks old, but is already over 2 feet tall. I expect it will be fully blossomed in a couple days:

I am still on my kick of nostagia reading, and so I was thrilled to get this great Random Act of Kindness (RAK) from a lady on Ravelry-----what a treat (the Knitter Magazines are British, some great patterns and different than what you find in the US magazines):

Over the summer, I knit a pair of fingerless mitts for the sister of a friend in the Denver (NC) knitting group. The friend's sister is a quilter, and look at the AMAZING thank you gift I got----this picture doesn't even do it justice, the colours are just gorgeous!

Holy cow, this is the time of year to stock up on DVDs that you might want to add to your collection----Amazon.com has some amazing deals. I just ordered three movies (Blind Side, Milk and Frost/Nixon) for about $5 each, and in keeping with my nostalgia kick, the first season of The Flying Nun for $15. I am currently watching Dragnet 1967 (RIP Harry Morgan) on DVD---it's a hoot. TV this time of year sucks.

Between my travels, good deals on Amazon and Ebay, and some great clearance deals, I need to magically find more space on my bookshelves, or suck it up and buy another book case. I am going to be busy reading all winter------I just seem to have such a curiosity about so many subjects lately. There isn't enough time in the days!

Off to run a quick errand, then settle in with a movie while I knit (and do laundry). Hope everyone is having a great holiday season ---- whatever you celebrate -----I will celebrate when it's all over and life settles down into a routine......even if the routine is a bit whacky!

Oh, so true!

2011-12-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

Love this quote:

2011-11-28T11:21:00.001-05:00

"What the superior man seeks is in himself what the small man seeks is in others."
- Confucius

Black Friday Project

2011-11-26T09:43:00.002-05:00

The only thing I went out for on Friday was a workout at the gym-----I was in no way getting into those crowds on Black Friday for the sales. Not worth the hassle, and I don't celebrate the holidays anyway!

I got some great new pendant images last week, and started playing around with them. I love these with the three words:

And of course, I had to do a couple with Eeyores------

I made over 30 of the holiday images for friends----and soon I will be on to the spring holidays!

Went to see Happy Feet 2 for Thanksgiving----very cute movie, but I liked the music better in the first one. A good way to spend the holiday afternoon.

Amazingly warm here for the end of November, but that's going to change over the next couple days (damn it!). I'm still occasionally wearing capri pants out and about. Off to have lunch with my Saturday lunch bunch, always a highlight of my week.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend-----stay safe (particularly this year, wow, the number of violent shopping incidents was troubling).

Something to think about-----

2011-11-26T08:37:00.002-05:00

My friend Gina over at Tainted Fibers had this on her Facebook page today, and it is profound enough that I want to share it with you:

You can talk a good talk, and think you are walking a good walk, but in the end, people remember how you made them feel way more than anything you ever said to them.

Knitting you haven't seen before (no, I did not knit any of this!)

2011-11-25T18:14:00.001-05:00

I am very thankful for-----

2011-11-23T15:22:00.002-05:00

As rough as this year has been in many ways, I know I am still one blessed puppy with much to be thankful for, including:

Another year of good health, and two doctors who care enough about their patients to want the best for them. After many years of putting up with jackass, arrogant health care providers, I know this is the biggest blessing of all.

A wonderful new opportunity this fall that has given me a new sense of purpose.

If I never fully appreciated the meaning of friendship, this year I do more than ever. The knitting group debaucle was a frightening and traumatic, but the friends who loved me and supported me through it are the greatest in the world. I learned an important lesson out of this, and I will be more careful in the future about who I allow into my life. It took a while to get to this point, but I know now that my life is better without those awful people in my life.

I'm thankful for two good hands that allow me to craft and knit ----- I get a lot of my life energy from my creativity, and I am thankful that it is one of my gifts. Below is my latest shawl (I think I have made at least a dozen shawls this year, most are for me and I am really enjoying wearing them):
I wish all of you the blessings of a wonderful Thanksgiving, and a great holiday season (whatever you celebrate----even if you are like me and celebrate the holiday hoopla being over in January!)

The Nancy Drew Mystery------

2011-11-20T10:59:00.004-05:00

I just got a response to the letter I sent to the address inscribed in the Nancy Drew book (see last week's post)-------

My name is **** ***** and I live with my family at 226 Lorfield. Thank you for the taking the time to share the book inscription with us. I was really pleased to read your letter.

The Kirschmyer's owned the house before the people we bought it from, so, no, I never knew them, but there are people in the neighborhood who did. There are stories of how all the neighbor's would flood their back yards in the winter so the kids could ice skate. It seems as though it was quite a close knit group of people, from what I've heard. I don't know where they went from here or what happened to Susie (although I am going to speak to an old neighbor and see if he knows-I will let you know.)

Interestingly, I am 53, also. I was not fond of reading as a young child, so I only occasionally picked up a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys (my sister's read them and they were around the house), I was more interested in playing with my friends and probably watching TV. My love of reading started only in my late teens, and I thought I was beyond the genre at that time. Please keep the book, it sounds like you have a collection going.

Didn't you just love Susie's exuberance! Makes me think back to being 13 going on 20! I hope she hasn't lost her spirit!I also want to say I appreciate the time and energy you put into writing the letter. Not everyone would.

I have only been to North Carolina a few times. Once in college I went to the Old Time Fiddler's Convention in Winston-Salem. Another time we stayed with friends outside of Raleigh on our way to Florida. We have friends in the Outer Banks and in Charlotte. It's a beautiful state.

We are entering into our Winter here-and I'm not enthusiastic about it. All the leaves are off the trees. The temperature has been mild--in the 50s, so it's a bit deceptive-my forsythia thinks it's spring and has started blooming again! But we know winter is coming. There is a part of me who enjoys the excitement of snow, but it does create some challenges. I keep telling myself I need to take up skiing (again, did it as a teen) in order to fully appreciate living in Western New York in winter. Thanks again. Good luck with your book collecting. Feel free to communicate further. I will let you know if I find out anything further about Susie.

Regards,

So cool-----even if I never locate Susie (but I am hopeful that I might still!), it's just great to get a response!

More later, I am into about 6 projects today!

Glass pendant marathon!

2011-11-14T13:08:00.002-05:00

I don't celebrate the holidays, but most of my friends do-----so yesterday I got my glass tile pendant stuff out to make some Santa, Angel and holiday pendants. I am very pleased with the way they came out!

Sunday Summary-----(November 13)

2011-11-13T10:52:00.002-05:00

Greetings from NC! A busy, happy week ---- finally feeling back on top of my game!

Took my friend Donna to Yoder's Amish Market in Salisbury on Friday (OMG, I could buy sooo many calories in that place----too many yummy things). The store has a used book section, and I happened upon 5 old Nancy Drew Mysteries (copyright 1933-1940something):
In one of the books was this inscription:

The address still exists, I looked it up on Google Maps (I even could see the house!). I dropped a letter to the family that lives there now asking if they know anything about the person who wrote the inscription-----I'll keep you updated if I get an answer!

Yesterday Connie and I team taught a two classes on the glass pendants----lots of fun, but so busy that I forgot to take pictures! Before I went to class, I stopped at one of Stein Mart's fabulous 14 hour sales. Check out all the jewelry I got for about $50:

Oh. Yeah.

I started another shawl early in the week, and have worked on it most nights since. This is all one ball of yarn, I love the way it's dyed. The blue on the outside of the ball is the colour I am just starting, it will likely end with the green that's at the top:

Still plugging away on another sock, need to get back to it (I have another pair on the needles almost finished, those are a gift so I will show them after I give them to the recipient):

It's a beautiful day here, makes me want to go for a walk, but the Achille's tendonosis is putting the brakes on that. I am going to run over to the Y and get in a half hour of biking instead, and then do a weight workout while I'm puttering around this afternoon. Today it's back to a marathon session of making pendants, I have several gifts to make, and I got anxious to work on them while I was helping my students yesterday. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Happy Veteran's Day!

2011-11-11T16:49:00.002-05:00

I saw a great post on Facebook today: "Real heroes don't wear capes, they wear dogtags." Amen.

My grandmother had three children in World War 2 at the same time, my mom (pictured below receiving her Bronze Star), my aunt Betty (also a nurse), and my Uncle Jack. I can't imagine what Grandma must have suffered in anxiety. I keep this picture on my IPhone and show it off whenever I can. Blessed be to all those who serve!

On a shawl roll-----

2011-11-08T11:07:00.002-05:00

I actually made this shawl in September, finished it and just procrastinated in blocking it. Finally got around to it yesterday------

The colours in the top picture do not show up at all, so here is a close up of what the yarn really looks like (I plan to wear it with a dark red scoop neck T):

A gorgeous day here in NC, a little warmer than seasonal. I'm back from the gym and heading out to run errands. Make it a great Tuesday!

Happy November!

2011-11-06T10:10:00.003-05:00

Happy November to all-----I am so glad October is over!

I have been busy---finally getting my knitting mojo back and have been busy working on some projects (gotta start using up the yarn I collected over the last few months!) I have also been working on some of the glass pendants, and I stole this idea from my friend Patti's blog Pandora's Box. Make this cute little ornament from the invitation I got to a baby shower:

I was glad that the envelope the invitation came in was blue, as the shower invitation itself only had a blue border. I also substituted a plastic ornament for the glass one (I've broken so many of those ornaments, and the woman I made this for has dogs and soon will have a little one).

I have been admiring the pewter type silver jewelry that's popular this year, but I didn't want to spend a whole bunch on something so trendy. I found both of these pendants at AC Moore for about $2.50 each, and the chain (it's really cool) came from Walmart for $3. Earring findings were also $2.50, and here is what I came up with:

I have a couple packages of copper findings, and that will hopefully be this afternoon's project.

My first beaded shawl! I used the flower motif from Evelyn Clark's Knitting Triangle's book (I'm so grateful to have a copy, it's out of print and listed on Amazon.com for over $200!). This is my first beaded shawl, each point has three beads:

Today is going to be a catch up day around here, I have a lot of organizing to do, and since I feel like I lost the whole month of October I am scrambling to catch up. I put another shawl on the needles last night, and hopefully today I can sit down at the beading table for a while (it also need to be cleaned and organized, but that's for another day.) Sunny and bright here in NC today, hope it's the same wherever you are. Have a great week!

Autumn in NC------

2011-10-30T14:40:00.001-04:00

I miss the brilliant leaves of NY in the Autumn----and the leaves here in NC change much later than up north. I went to Jetton Park near my home this afternoon and caught a few pictures.....enjoy!

Love this quote:

2011-10-23T10:06:00.000-04:00

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle

My favourite video of the year!

2011-10-22T19:08:00.000-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Tainted Fibers Giveaway!

2011-10-20T18:43:00.003-04:00

My friend Gina over at Tainted Fibers is having a giveaway to celebrate being a featured artist on ArtFire.......click here to head over to her blog and enter!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

2011-10-19T12:07:00.002-04:00

Greetings from dark and dreary NC! I have already been to the gym, and the rest of the day is for snuggling in and hopefully getting a few things done.

Had an absolute blast at the NC State Fair on Monday with my friend Katie (click here for my Facebook album of pictures, you don't have to be on FB to see them)----we rode the train from Kannapolis to the Fairgrounds, that's the only way I will go to the fair now. No traffic, no hassle, relax on the way home. We leisurely walked around to see the sights, ate not too much junk food (but did bring a little home with us), and just enjoyed the day immensely. One of our favourite buildings was the Crafts of Yesteryear------all handcrafts that were not only juried, but the artists were required to demonstrate their craft for educational purposes. It was fantastic, and we spied little Moravian Star kits ---- we each bought one and I have done several already:

I ordered more supplies and hope they are here by the end of the week.

I had a very successful class in the glass tile pendants last week----great meeting new people. Here are a few more I have done:

A couple of my knitting projects can't be shown yet because they are gifts, but I did finish another market bag:

And this shawl pattern is Diedre----I bought this yarn at the Raleigh Fiber Festival in May. I still need to soak and block this one:

I'm keeping busy! Working on two pair of socks right now, two shawls (story of my life!) and need to really get busy on the glass pendants, I am making a bunch of gifts right now. I feel like I have been in such a daze for the last month or so, need to get back on track! Enjoy the rest of your week, stay safe!

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth!

2011-10-17T21:38:00.003-04:00

Last week was a very bad week for me, the knitting group debaucle came to a head. It hurts me to know that those women were ok with one of the members being humiliated and bullied, but it is what it is and on to a new chapter in my life. I have found that I have amazing friends who have supported, loved and nurtured me this whole time-----I am one of the most blessed people on the planet.

Today was a wonderful day! My friend Katie and I went to the NC State Fair, saw it all (well, we didn't make it to the animal barns, but that's ok) laughed the whole day, loved the train ride up and back, did a tiny bit of shopping, and relaxed and had so. much. fun. I will post pics as soon as I download them from the camera (I just got home and the only thing I am off to is bed.)

I'll post over the next couple days-----I should be back on schedule by Wednesday. Enjoy your week!

Getting to know me A-Z (thanks, Gina!)

2011-10-12T16:10:00.002-04:00

A. Age: 53

B. Bed size: Queen

C. Chore that you hate: Vaccuming (hard on my back)

D. Dogs: Nuh, uh, I have stuffed animals as pets!

E. Essential start to your day: Coke Zero, and in my fantasy world, a pumpkin scone with no calories from Starbucks!

F. Favorite color: Purple

G. Gold or Silver: Silver

H. Height: 5' 8 1/2" (bugs me I am not 5'9" anymore!)

I. Instruments you play: Are knitting needles instruments?

J. Job title: Founder and CEO of the Holy Hormones blog!

K. Kids: Love 'em, don't own any

L. Live: in the Piedmont of NC

M. Make of car: Honda CRV

N. Nicknames: None right now

O. Overnight hospital stays: Oh, holy crap...........

P. Pet peeves: At the moment, bullies and those who support them

Q. Quote from a movie: I'll get back to you on that one!

R. Right or left handed: Left!

S. Siblings: One half sister that I have no contact with

T. TV Shows: MASH, Glee, House and not much else!

U. Underwear: Basic, plain and boring

V. Vegetable you hate: Most of them

W. What makes you run late: Around here, traffic!

X. X-Rays you’ve had: A carful!

Y. Yummy food that you make: Baked zita

Z. Zoo animal: I think I would make a good lioness.........

Shoe Shopping at it's finest!

2011-10-09T12:05:00.002-04:00

A perfect autumn week here in Charlotte---mild temps and lots of sunshine. I have other pictures to share with you soon (went to a great quilt show on Friday), but wanted to show you the great new shoes I got at the Quality Clothing Outlet (they are only open one week a month, you never know what you are going to find, it's either feast or famine!) I hit the jackpot this trip, and I'm thrilled with my purchases!

The colours don't show up too well, the light in the living room isn't great. These are a dark brown, and I am going to wear them this afternoon to my friend Joy's birthday party:

I all but live in ballet flats, these are black (I wore the pair I bought last year to death!):

I hate athletic shoes, so the only way I wear Sketchers is if they don't look much like Sketchers:

B Makowsky is now becoming my favourite shoe brand, and I especially love these-----I have a narrow heel (it's the only place on me that's narrow), and so I love the elastic gathering at the back of these (the colour is a cross between bronze and pewter):

I am off today to celebrate my friend Joy's 70th birthday---we are gathering at the Olive Garden. Always lots of fun, we have celebrated a lot of birthdays this year! Hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful fall weekend, I will have more pictures to post soon!

Another great Facebook post!

2011-10-06T19:08:00.003-04:00

Busy at the craft desk (finally)!

2011-10-04T13:38:00.002-04:00

It took me a while to get back in the swing of things after I returned from TN, but I am finally getting there. I sat down to do a few more pendants today, and since I am going to knitting guild meeting tonight, thought I would go in that direction.

For some reason, the Diamond Glaze I use to adhere the paper image to the glass did not want to work with the solid black ink-----the edges peeled right away even after a half hour of dry time. Lesson learned. I did this pendant by adhering an epoxy sticker over the image, burnishing it, and then gluing (use E600 glue) directly to the pendant tray.

These two images were done by adhering the image to the glass, drying, trimming and then attaching the pendant tray:

I'm finally past the grieving stage in the whole Wednesday afternoon knitting group debaucle----now I have moved on to the anger phase. That's ok, anger is better than grief. I want to get to the stage where I just consider the group and most of its members to have never existed. Important lessons learned. My friend Gina posted something on Facebook last night that absolutely summed up the whole situation:

There is no need for revenge.

Just sit back and wait.

Those who hurt you will screw up eventually.

If you are lucky,

God will let you watch.

Thank you Gina!

Yes, I am still knitting, in fact, I got a shawl off the needles last night, and I just shipped the three scarves I made for Special Olympics. I am also crocheting another market bag, and of course I have a pair of socks on the needles at all times. Will post those pictures soon, as well as my vacation pictures. Enjoy your week, everyone!

Trip to the Garden!

2011-09-30T16:27:00.002-04:00

I had really hoped to go to the Daniel Stowe Gardens last week to get fall flower pictures, but a persistent rain last week squelched that idea. I went today and although I got a few good shots, most of the flowers had been damaged by the heavy winds and rain, so it was only a semi successful trip. Here are a few of the shots, and you can click here to see the others, I posted them in my Facebook album (you do not need to be on FB to see the pictures. Enjoy!

A few of my "exes" could learn from this!

2011-09-29T15:24:00.002-04:00

TKGA Show

2011-09-24T07:41:00.002-04:00

The long awaited trip to The Knitting Guild of America show was yesterday. Honestly, if that's what a national convention is, well, ok, but the vendor's floor was somewhat of a yawn. I expected it to be bigger with more participants. It wasn't even crowded, which was good for me, but I didn't see a lot of buying going on.

The day ended up being very stressful for me. I was kicked out of the Wednesday afternoon knitting group (without cause, which makes it very upsetting), so I was worried about running into my "exes". Thankfully the two women who kicked me out and I managed to avoid each other. I had long ago agreed to take two of the other women from the group with me, so it made for some long periods of silence in the car......I'm glad the day is over!

I got six skeins of yarn, these two from The Unplanned Peacock (shawls):

Miss Babs was one of the vendors participating, I could have easily rolled this whole cart of yarn out to my car (sigh):

Some of the shawls on display were to die for:

Quite a bit there for crocheters, too, some cute arumigumi animals (I'm not much of a crocheter):

These are all winning entried from the crochet design contest, the workmanship was beautiful. Makes me want to improve my crochet skills:

I'm semi-glad I went, I'm glad it's over, and now onward and upward. Taking a few days for a mini vacation to TN, will have lots of pictures to show you when I get back next week. Have a great week, everyone!

Great spoof on Glee!

2011-09-22T11:17:00.001-04:00

A few more jewelry pieces

2011-09-10T10:13:00.002-04:00

I'm really enjoying doing these little glass tile pendants, the number of graphics out there is amazing! Here are a few more of my efforts:

I love these fall pendants, some of these I am doing with copper bails:

Victorian roses:

And these are Japanese style graphics:

Beautiful sunny week here in NC, I've had the air conditioner off most of the week and I love it! I'm so ready for Fall. Off to have lunch with friends today (my Saturday bunch) and then a busy week upcoming. Whatever you do, make it a great weekend!

Tuesday Thoughts-----

2011-09-06T15:38:00.002-04:00

Dman weather, I have been trying to get together with a couple of my friends from my ex knitting group to have lunch, we had it all planned out for today, and this morning the news was predicting heavy thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. It didn't happen, but we had to reschedule lunch. Bummer!

This shawl turned out to be a nightmare----the yarn broke 8 times in the lace section. I bought it from an independent yarn dyer (who I know), I guess that will be the last yarn I buy from that company. I did manage to get it blocked without it breaking again (keeping fingers crossed):

My latest obsession is tile pendant jewelry------I got into it a bit this spring, but after doing a make and take a couple weeks ago at the scrapbook show, (sigh), now I am back at it. It's just way too much fun. These are made with 1 inch pieces, mostly glass, the top right one is a wooden tile with an epoxy sticker.

Discovered you could make matching pendant and earring sets, and of course there is no such thing as too many earrings:

These are 1 1/2 inch circles......

I just got a whole new supply of glass pieces and bails, so I am planning on doing a lot more of these, I love the look! I will try to get some pics of the "process" to make these soon (right now I don't want anyone to see how awful my desk looks!).

Hope everyone is enjoying this "start" to the short week. I'm looking forward to a busy Fall (and cooler weather!)

Thursday, September 1

2011-09-01T10:23:00.002-04:00

This summer has certainly been one to foget. I am glad September is here---hopefully the Fall will be better.

Finished a fall shawlette----this is way outside my colour comfort zone, but I am very pleased with the way it came out (got the yarn at the Raleigh Fiber Festival in the spring):

Started another crochet market bag---like having these on hand for gifts:

My friend Katie last year for my birthday gave me Wendy Johnson's toe up sock book----I got distracted with other things and am just now venturing into the world of "toe ups". I love it, I feel very accomplished (this is just a practice pair of bed socks for me):

I was gifted a pattern for 2 Hour Slippers last winter, and Elin gave me a bunch of bulky weight yarn from her stash. I think this is about the 6-7th pair I have made, I wear them around the house even in the summer----my feet get cold from the air conditioning. I've also made several pair as gifts:

I'm still not quite done with the cards made with the die cut machine, but I am pretty close---it came out to be about 350 cards altogether. Now to sort and get them into categories----that will be a job unto itself!

Hope everyone is ok from Hurricane Irene, and I understand another storm may be heading for the mainland next week. It's that time of year. No big plans for Labour Day weekend, I know for my friends up north it's "Classic Weekend" (racing) at Oswego Speedway. The weather does not look promising for Sunday, but hopefully it will clear enough for them to get the racing in. Whatever you do, be safe and have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday to my favourite little man!

2011-08-29T12:34:00.001-04:00

My little sweetheart in CA, Julian Jeffrey Carr, turns 2 years old today. His daddy posted this picture on his Facebook page, and it just made me smile. Happy Birthday, JuJu---I love you so much!

Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook/Stamp Show

2011-08-29T10:18:00.007-04:00

I don't do a lot of papercrafting anymore, but I love a day out with my friends, so when Connie, Joy and Vicki invited me to join them in Charlotte for the day at the CK Scrapbook/Stamping convention, I jumped at the chance!

Updown Charlotte is filled with great artwork, I must get down there more often to walk around and enjoy all the city has to offer. This piece and several others like it are in a small park right across the street from the Convention Center (which, by the way, will host the Democratic National Convention next year---very exciting!):

The convention is smaller than in years past, but still lots of great stuff to see. This little guy is made entirely of paper and embellishments:

As is this oven---this would work well in my kitchen, as I rarely cook so a paper oven would not be a problem:

People were shopping and browsing, but didn't seem to be purchasing as much as I remembered seeing in the past:

I ran into a number of the ladies from Stamper's Alley, here are Marianne and her sister Sharon doing a make and take on resist paper:

Hope everyone is enjoying this last week of "summer" (which really doesn't end until September 23). Last week NC had an earthquake and a hurricane ----- this week is hopefully going to be calmer.

Cereal Treat Giveaway!

2011-08-27T13:46:00.001-04:00

This giveaway is not from my blog, but my friend Patti's over at Pandora's Box. It's a yummy giveaway of Betty Crocker/General Mills Cereal Bars.....click here to enter!

Earthquake!

2011-08-23T15:17:00.002-04:00

Unless you live on another planet, you know the East Coast had an earthquake at about 1:50 pm this afternoon. It took me a couple seconds to figure out what it was, the condo was shaking. I got up and as soon as I did, I realized what it was. No damage here (as far as I know), and I actually thought it was a little exciting (it's been a boring day). Eeyore was definitely shaken up:

But BB immediately went over to him and started coaching in deep breathing exercises. Everyone is feeling better and much calmer.

I am off to a birthday party this evening for my friend Vicki----looking forward to an evening out. Stay safe, everyone!

Great quote for the day!

2011-08-22T14:33:00.001-04:00

"Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold -- but so does a hard-boiled egg."

--Anonymous

Back to knitting!

2011-08-21T15:42:00.002-04:00

It feels so good to get back to my knitting after my marathon session of making cards. I am ever grateful to Karen for allowing me to use her die cut machine last week, and at the bottom of this post I have shared a few more of my creative efforts.

I love working with Knit Picks yarn, and this is their tonal sock yarn, the colourway is "Gypsy". I just finished a pair of socks for a gift:

I decided to make a few scarves for the Special Olympics Scarf Project this year. I hate working with Red Heart Yarn, but that's what the group specifies must be used, so I have sucked it up and made three scarves so far (knitted scarf on the left, the center and right side scarves are both crocheted):

I am working on a fourth scarf, and will likely have about a half dozen done to send to the NY Chapter (our friend Marilyn's daugher was a Special Olympian for a number years, so I am happy to honour her!) sometime this Fall.

I am happily back at work on my Fall shawlette/scarf project, I plan to wear this to the knitting convention in September (September 23 to be exact, which is the first day of Fall):

It will look much prettier when it is off the needles and blocked, hard to get a good picture while it is in progress.

Finally, a couple more of my card creations, these are for my knitting friends:

And this one is for my sassy knitting friends!

The heat and humidity is back----but we are now past the mid point of August so I can see cool weather ahead in a few weeks. I am getting anxious to get back out into the gardens to take pictures of the Fall flowers, and I have a lot of Fall activities lined up: Southern Women's Show, State Fair, the Wooly Worm Festival, and the list goes on. Can't wait, Fall is one of the lovliest times of year here in NC.

Stay cool, stay safe, and a happy school year to my teacher friends----NC schools start August 25 (the teachers went back last week). Enjoy your week!

Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party

2011-08-19T18:09:00.001-04:00

10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.

9. There’s always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner.

8. It’s best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.

7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone’s going to start banging on the door.

6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

5. You’ve got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.

4. There’s definitely going to be a fight.

3. You’re not sure whether anything you’re doing is right, you just hope it won’t get you arrested.

2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

Cranking out the cards!

2011-08-14T10:51:00.002-04:00

I have been one busy girl the last few days----my friend Karen lent me her Big Shot die cut/embossing machine for a few days----and I am definitely making the most of it! I think I like the embossing the most, so many pretty designs (and I hate the noise the machine makes when I die cut, so that may have something to do with it also!) Here are a few of my efforts (and I am planning on a marathon session today), and you can see more of the cards I have made on my Facebook album (you don't need to be on Facebook to see the pictures).

Sorry the colours aren't great----it's cloudy today and the house is a bit dark.

Sympathy cards:

There are a lot of pretty butterfly quotations out there, this is one of several quotes I used with this colour combination:

This is one of several 3 1/2 x 5 inch cards I made, always like to have a few on hand for very quick notes/thank yous:

This design just makes me smile!

Yes, I am still knitting, but it's on the back burner. I am making good progress on my Fall coloured shawl (need it to wear to the convention next month), and I have a pair of socks I need to finish for a gift. I'll get back to it later this week-----too busy playing right now! Have a great week, everyone!

Busy making cards!

2011-08-08T14:10:00.002-04:00

I don't stamp anymore (got to be way too expensive, and I burned out on it), but I do still enjoy making handmade cards to send. Last winter I picked up some preprinted cards and coordinating cardstock on sale at JoAnn Fabrics, tucked them away, and just got around to working on the cards. I computer generate my quotes/sayings, and also the insides of the cards. Here are a few of my efforts:

These are going to be birthday cards, as I have a lot of winter birthdays:

The colours in this one are much prettier than they appear, very vibrant purples:

Same with this one.......I have two quotation "apps" on my phone that I use to help me find neat quotes to use:

I'm always looking for a good knitting saying-----I use some of my cards as Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) over on Ravelry:

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

2011-08-03T13:08:00.002-04:00

This is the point in the summer where I am restless, bored, and bitchy. Not like I don't have a gazillion things to catch up on, places to go, etc, but the heat is getting to me!

I can post this now since the gift has been given. This hat and scarf set (yeah, the irony of giving it as a July birthday gift does not escape me) is for my friend Katie. She has the most gorgeous tan "winter" coat, during the winter I made her a pair of fingerless mitts, and told her by her birthday I would have the hat and scarf made! Here it is:

The yarn is "Impecable" from Michael's.

Started fussing with these wired women pins a couple weeks ago-----I learned how to make them back when I lived in NY, but something jiggled my memory about them recently, and I decided to give them another try. They aren't hard, but boy, are they fussy! I have about another half dozen "naked" dolls just waiting for their dresses to be knit. They were a big hit at Knitting Guild last night:

And finally, because I have nothing else to do, I got caught up in making a few Temari balls----Temari balls are also known as Japanese Thread Balls. This is my first attempt:

In between all this, I have two shawls and a pair of socks on the needles, and I just finished another pair of the 2 Hour slippers and a pair of fingerless mitts. I will post thos pics soon!

Off to knitting group-----provided there is a place to sit. If not, home and to the pool, I've already done my weight workout for the day. Stay cool, enjoy this first week of August.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

2011-07-24T11:57:00.006-04:00

Hot as hell here in NC, this will be the fifth day of temperatures over 95 degrees. Ugh.

I hosted a birthday celebration for my friend Jacki on Friday, and decided I wanted to make bookmark favours for everyone ---- last winter I got some little wallet sized prints of my flower pictures (Walgreen's was having a half price sale), and here is the result of my experiment:

I also had on hand a few of these mini composition notebooks (tip, get these at Family Dollar Store, they have the nice squared off edges, the ones you get in most of the stores have rounded edges and they are harder to cover:

And I now have 6 notebooks for my "gift basket" (I keep a little basket filled with small tuck in gifts to have on hand when I need them):

I'm a big believer in getting as much done as possible when I have all my paper crafting stuff out, so I also did a couple of the bigger notebooks:

Oh, yes, I am still knitting, just finished up a hat and scarf set for a gift, and I have a couple other projects in the works. Never a dull moment, and I will post those pics soon.

I'm so bummed, I can't fitness walk for the next six months because of severe Achille's tendonosis ----- I can, of course, substitute other exercise and I will, but I have really gotten into this walking routine, I was covering more than 15 miles a week and I was so proud of myself. Not happy.

Enjoy this last week of July------hard to believe the year is more than half over! Stay cool, stay hydrated!

2011-07-22T17:01:00.001-04:00

Another visit to the Biltmore!

2011-07-16T17:27:00.003-04:00

There was a knitting/fiber retreat this weekend in Asheville sponsored by Friends and Fiberworks (learned about this store when I went to Raleigh in May for the NC Fiber Festival---great shop), and since I was in the area, I thought I would stop in at the Biltmore Estate Gardens for a picture taking session. It was a great day for it, much, much cooler than it's been in weeks, and overcast, which makes for better pictures. I had a ball, below are a few of the pictures I took, and you can see the rest of them by clicking here to access my Facebook album (you do not need to be on Facebook to see the pictures).

I went by myself so the day was my own, and I had a great time! I have pictures to share with you all (y'all) from my visit to the Mint Museum in Charlotte, as well as some pics of recently finished projects, but I will save those for a separate post. Hope everyone had a great week and is enjoying their weekend!

I've been busy!

2011-07-06T16:33:00.002-04:00

First of all, belated Independence Day wishes to all-----we had a hot, and a bit stormy 4th of July here. Didn't do anything big, enjoyed my usual Saturday lunch out with my Saturday bunch, and then Sunday did lunch and movies with my Sunday group. A tip, if you only go to see one movie this year, make it "Buck" ------ he was the inspiration for the story The Horse Whisperer. Absolutely the best movie I have seen all year!

In between all that, I am determined to get my spring notecards caught up, June just flew by and I got behind. I have them about 75% done, keeping them handy next to my favourite chair, so when I sit down for a big, I pull the basket of card up into my lap and complete a few more!

I'm experimenting a bit with knitting jewelry, this is my first attempt with the new pattern from Creative Knitting. I still need a clasp for it:

New yarn store opening in the next town over, I am knitting up a sample shawl for display. The yarn is beautiful, it's made from sugar cane, but it is the nastiest stuff to work with. I cannot wait to get this thing off the needles (it's a shawlette from the pattern Multnomah----hard to see what it is from this picture):

The Multnomah shawl inspired another knitter to design a pattern that is a little similar, a shawlette/scarf called Larch:

I am making it up in this colourway-----thinking ahead to fall. I am hoping to wear it to the Greensboro knitting convention, which happens to be on the first day of fall!

It's very hot here (typical for July)-----I try to walk early in the mornings, but today the humidity just wore me out well before the end of the distance I typically cover. As soon as I finish up here I am going to do a weight workout (try to get in three a week for bone health), and I also do water aerobics in our condo pool several days a week. Never a dull moment, but somehow I don't really care for summer down here, I sometimes feel a little cabin feverish like I used to in NY in the winter. Spring and summer are the seasons here to relish!

Stay cool, stay safe! Off to do my weights (ugh).

Another shawl off the needles!

2011-06-28T18:08:00.002-04:00

I'm obviously still on my shawl kick, and over the weekend I finished another one, this time in a heavier worsted weight yarn (most of my shawls are the lighter fingering weight), by Universal Yarns. I pretty much made up the pattern, it was a good shawl to work on while watching TV in the evening, since I didn't have to think much about the pattern. Here is a close up of the pattern:

And here is the shawl laid out on the living room floor after being soaked in water and blocked:

I'm going to cut this post short since I am starting to hear rumbles of thunder in the distance, time to shut the computer down! Stay cool!

I've been busy at the beading table!

2011-06-23T19:01:00.002-04:00

I go in spurts working on my beads----I go months at a time without looking at my beading desk, but then when I get started I tend to go gangbusters for a while. Such it is the month of June......

I got the beads for these earrings on Ebay last winter (told you I go in spurts). From the two sets of beads, I got 4 pair of earrings, the larger ones are for me, the smaller for gifts:

These two necklaces and the three sets of earrings will all be gifts:

The necklace/earrings on the left are a gift, the pink necklace on the right is for me:

And these two sets are made with beads I received as a birthday gift from my friend Ashley. Aren't they pretty, of course, both sets are for me!

I have knitting projects to catch up with on the blog, hopefully will get pics this weekend and post. Hope everyone is enjoying these first days of summer----the big news here is we are finally getting a JoAnn Fabrics locally----it opens tomorrow! Guess where I will be tomorrow afternoon (after a workout, of course!)

Happy birthday to me!

2011-06-18T08:32:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's that time of year again-----a celebration of completing another trip around the sun! It's going to be a great day----I was given a ticket to go see Shrek the Musical this afternoon in Charlotte, and then I'm having dinner out with friends this evening. Yesterday I had a lovely party at Red Robin with 12 of my friends, and I will post those pictures over the weekend.

My day started out with the furries jumping into bed to wish me a happpy birthday----and as a special surprise, they had our friend Karen make special birthday cards for each of them to present to me. L'Eeyore decided he needed two cards (I guess because he is so little he has to make a big deal):
BB just loves the card with her image, it's in 3-D:

And of course, Eeyore gets so psyched when he sees images of himself on playing cards and other things in the human world:

I'll post more over the weekend!

Sunday summary-----(June 12)

2011-06-12T17:20:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know, it's been two weeks since I posted----I'm busy! I have much to catch up on, but for now a few quick pictures. I finished my Multnomah shawlette----this is an up close picture (the camera didn't do a great job with colours, it's a dark brown, teal blue and ivory):
And this is the shawl all laid out for blocking (I did it Friday, so it should be dry by now and I can take it up off the floor):

I'm trying to get the beading desk straightened up/organized, so I used a few laying around beads to make a bunch of earrings:

And one necklace that I have had the beads for since last summer!

Happy WWKIP week (for those of you who are not fiber artists, it means World Wide Knit in Public week). I've been to two events in two days----so much fun to visit with so many like minded fanatics----uh, I mean people! I will post pics later this week.

Hot as hell here in NC, this week the humidity is supposed to drop a bit, which will be most welcome. Hope whatever you are doing, you stay cool and hydrated. I'll post again later this week with all my weekend adventures!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

2011-05-29T11:12:00.002-04:00

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! It's hot here, will probably head to the pool this afternoon for a workout (I was too lazy to walk this morning, but I have been doing great with my walking----up to over 3 miles per walk----and the ice pack comes out of the freezer to put on my back the minute I get back!

This morning I sat down at the beading desk (finally) to make up a few pieces. I love the bright green of summer, so this piece has that colour and black, matching bracelet, focal bead is a dragonfly:

I got most of the beads for this necklace at Hobby Lobby (half price, of course!) and the silver beads last winter on Ebay. This is a necklace I will wear a lot:

I took another shawl off the needles last week----I need to get a good picture to share with you. Meanwhile, I cast on a Multnomah shawl (actually, it's more of a shawlette) with some of the yarn I bought last week at the fiber festival:

Oh, yes, one more necklace to share (I think this one is my favourite)---hard to get a good picture of this because the beads are sooooo shiny----almost mirror like silver/grey. I got them this spring at the bead show in Charlotte:

I definitely will make earrings to match this---and if I have enough beads left over, a bracelet too!

Although I have little interest in racing anymore, I must confess that one of my Memorial Day weekend traditions is watching the Indianapolis 500. The race is often a bore, but the prerace show and pagentry is really spectacular. The stories behind the teams are often so compelling---the pole sitter's team owner is quadraplegic from a racing accident, and one of the competitor's has Type 1 diabetes (and his glucose levels can be monitored in the car!!!!!). Amazing what technology can do.

Hot and humid is the order of the next three months----summer in NC is kind of like winter in NY---more time indoors to catch up on projects. I'm so busy in the spring and fall taking pictures that nothing gets done (well, maybe a little knitting), and this year I have a ton of things I want to get done: scanning old pictures onto thumb drives, organizing and cleaning up the beading area (it's really awful right now), knitting up the yarn that I bought at the fiber festival (so that I can buy more yarn at the knitting/crocheting show in September), and so on.

Happy Memorial Day----take time to remember why we observe the holiday. Blessed be.

Sunday May 22!

2011-05-22T18:46:00.006-04:00

I had a mini vacation last week-----I went to the NC Fiber Festival in Raleigh, which is about 3 hours away from where I live. That's too long a day on my back to do it in one day, so I stayed overnight----and boy, am I glad I did, the cement floors at the Fairgrounds kill my back! An added bonus was that the hotel had HBO, so Friday night I curled up in bed with a sub for dinner and enjoyed the Lady GaGa concert-----she sure is strange, but I love her music!

Here's a picture from one of the booths at the fair-------if you click here, you can see the rest of the pictures I took at the show. I had a wonderful time at the show, this is the first Fiber Festival I have ever been to----met some great people, saw a ton of great yarn (I was semi controlled, but let's just say I will be knitting a lot of shawls this summer to catch up before the Greensboro convention in September!) and really enjoyed the day.

Here;s a close up of a couple of the skeins of yarn I bought, I spent much of this afternoon winding the skeins of yarn into cakes:

On Saturday I had breakfast with an old friend who now lives in Cary (the suburb of Raleigh where I stayed), and then I headed out to do a bit of shopping (surprise, huh?) I stopped at the big JoAnn Fabrics and browsed around, and I managed to find a lace knitting book I didn't have (gotta use those coupons!). Then I headed over to the Crabtree Valley Mall ----- which has both an H&M Store (the only one so far in NC). Got seveal cute summer tshirts, and some very nice jewelry----pics of that to come in the next post. The mall also has a Lush store (bath products) and I treated myself a bit. On the way home, my back needed a break so I stopped at the Tanger Outlets, really only browsed around the Bass Outlet, found two cute pair of earrings (less than $6 per pair):

Last week I finally sat down at the beading table to make up a bunch of stitch markers (I use a lot for my shawls, and I like to have extras on hand for RAK (Random Acts Of Kindness) gifts on Ravelry. The necklace is for me:

And finally, a lovely surprise when I got the mail today-----a wonderful gift of a shell candle and beautiful sea glass earrings from my friend Patti! Thank you so much-----one of the yarns I bought has brown in it, and the earrings will go perfectly---you made my day!

I think that covers it for this week. It's getting very hot in NC----most of the week will be 90 degrees or above. Maybe warm enough to swim outdoors? I hope so, I can start my tan. I am off to go rest my back and work on my latest shawl, hopefully by next week I will have it finished and blocked and pictures taken! Have a great week!

Important viewing!

2011-05-22T11:18:00.001-04:00

Saturday, May 14

2011-05-14T17:03:00.007-04:00

It's not been a great week or so. I am supposed to be in CA right now, but my long awaited trip was cancelled because of a family emergency for my CA doctor. No one's fault, just the way things go sometimes, but very, very disappointing on a number of fronts. Then of course was the inevitable answering of everyone's questions about why, who, what, when am I going (still don't know, likely late in the summer), and so on. I've had to carve out some alone time for me this week just to get away from it. C'est la vie.

On to my current projects, and they are numerous. First of all, my charity project for this year is going to be the 2012 Special Olympics scarves. It's a nationwide effort, and if you click here for the details, you can learn about the colours, specifications, etc. Several of the ladies in my Wednesday knitting group are participating, and for me it's a good project to work on at knitting group (I can't work on anything that requires much concentration, too much going on!) Trust me, this is likely the only time you will ever see Red Heart yarn on my blog (I do not like working with it, but this is what the organizers specified, so that's what I am working with). I have one scarf almost completed and will post a picture soon, right now it's down in the car.

In other projects, I have another market bag about halfway completed----I need to finish up a few of these and have them on hand for gifts. I love the colours in this one, I may keep it for me (I think I have enough of these two yarns to make a second bag):

Next is the Collonade shawl, I started it about 2 weeks ago but had to rip back part of it. This pattern is a bit more challenging than I anticipated----but that's ok, I'll get it eventually. The double yarn overs are tripping me up, not the yarn overs themselves, but the purling back, I keep dropping the second loop. Sigh. The yarn is a Cascade wool worsted, and the colourway will look great in the fall/winter with jeans:

I am leanring to read knitting charts, and this new chart holder (magnetic) was an early birthday gift (don't panic, my birthday isn't until June 18) from my friend Ellie (who is a chart and shawl whiz, she usually has at least 7 shawls on needles at any one time---wow). She taught me to run a copy of my chart and then colour in the different sitch legends, I did and now I feel nearly competent with shawls.

My first "charted" shawl is from the Evelyn Clark Knitted Triangle book, I am using the ripple pattern throughout. The beauty of this book is that you can take the four different motifs and mix and match. Evelyn Clark's patterns are lovely and timeless. The yarn I am using from Cherry Tree Hill, and although the colours in this picture aren't great, it's red, orange, green and purple. I don't wear much (read that any) orange, but the other three colours are staples in my wardrobe.

She shawl is about half way done, I try to put at least 10 rows on it each evening. Now that I am almost done with picture taking for the spring (still have a lot of cards to put together), I can devote a little more time to knitting. I want to get my stash of yarn worked down before the big knitting convention in Greensboro in September!

My other big news is that I finally hit a milestone in my walking program this morning----I made it three miles. My back is making me nuts, but it was nuts after 1/2 mile, the walking itself doesn't exacerbate it. I'm very proud of myself----it was a long time coming. When I first started taking care of myself after I moved to NC, I can remember when trying to go a half mile was a big deal.

I think that's everything important and noteworthy. Have a great week, everyone!

Great quote for the day!

2011-05-12T14:36:00.000-04:00

"Listen, can you hear it Spring's sweet cantata. The strains of grass pushing through the snow. The song of buds swelling on the vine. The tender timpani of a baby robin's heart. Spring."

- Andrew Schneider

What a hoot-------

2011-05-08T14:05:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

2011-05-08T08:39:00.001-04:00

This is a picture of my mother in June 1958 with her favourite daughter (did I mention I am an only child?) Whatever you do, however you celebrate, make it a great day!

Another shawl off the needles!

2011-05-05T17:51:00.001-04:00

I finished another shawl (well, actually a stole) last week----I soaked it this afternoon and it's now blocking. The pattern is called Meandering Vines (got it from Ravelry)---and it will be great to wear to movie/lunch day this winter.

Back to the Rose Garden -------

2011-05-05T15:55:00.008-04:00

My day got shot early on, so to salvage something of it, I decided to make another trip to the McGill Rose Garden in Charlotte. I was there two weeks ago and the roses were in their early stages, today they were out more fully but some had been damaged by recent heavy rains.

However, I did get some great pictures, here are a few, and you can find more on my Facebook Album page (you do not need to be a member of Facebook to see the pictures:

the "Hole" Story-----

2011-04-26T16:49:00.003-04:00

I've been debating for several months about getting a new piercing in the upper part of my left ear (I wear my hair short so my ears show up). I was in Birkdale Village today near Claire's, so I went for it. I will get a picture of my new little CZ stud tomorrow and post----forgot to have someone do it for me today.

Just as I get out of Claire's, I get a text from Eeyore. He told me not to come home unless I had earrings for them too. Sigh. I had to go to Walmart anyway. I picked up a package of CZ earrings for them. BB wanted each ear pierced (she is very traditional) and although she is cooing gently about how "girly panda" she looks, it's a little hard to see them:

L'Eeyore, who I thought would pitch a fit because he is so little and fragile, never moved, never peeped when I did it, and he thinks he is hot stuff now with his bling:

Before I pierced Eeyore, he had me double check to make sure that on a male, the earring goes in the right ear for being gay (which Eeyore is) and left side for straight (which applies to L'Eeyore). Eeyore fussed a little, wanted to make sure he was going to get his ear cleaned 3 times a day (like mine---what a pain in the ass that is going to be), but he is a very happy donkey :

I need to get pictures of some of my latest knitting projects, I am almost finished with another shawl, and slowly making progress on the pair of socks I have been ~~neglect~~ ...... working on for the last oh, six or more months. Hey, I've been busy. Still plugging away on the notecards, that's a good TV project. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week, it's very warm here, predicting nasty storms tomorrow night. My thoughts are with those who have been devastated by the storms the last couple weeks----it's been a wild weather April here in the Southeast.

Busy, busy cardmaker-----

2011-04-24T15:15:00.002-04:00

This isn't even a third of the cards I have been working on----I have most of the prints trimmed, and about 2/3 of them into the coloured cardstock mats. Next trick is to put double stick tape on the back of each one and then adhere them to the base card. Next trick after that is to complete the inside with a card liner, either blank or with a sentiment. Whew---the fun never stops!