I Finished It!

Hi Megs,

From all reports, Ellen, Susan and Meredith had a GREAT time in San Francisco. You and Nathan were great hosts - just as you were for Dad and me. I love the pictures - particularly the ones that Nathan took. He always gets that unusual angle and images. Ellen's blog pictures were nice too - lots of happy faces. They also loved Rushka!

Thanks for the update on the Mystery Stole 3. Interesting pattern and, as you mention, the shape is odd. Can't wait for the next piece. You have done a beautiful job on this. And - I always learn things from you. I have never heard of a "lifeline" before in knitting. How does it go in? I feel like an "old" knitter just doing my own thing in splendid isolation where you come up with new ideas and terms. I have learned a lot from you.

Like you, I have been very busy since I last posted. First - I FINISHED MY LADY ELEANOR! This poor thing has been drug along with me through the US, Brazil and Canada.
My gage is different since I used Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Spirit, 100% wool and smaller needles (5mm instead of 6.5mm). It is as long, about 72" but not as wide - only about 18". I did 26 repeats of Tiers 1 & 2. This yarn is very soft and not plied so I didn't do the knotted fringe - thought it would "felt" too much - so I did braided fringe. It looks nice and the colours come out in the braiding - but my hands hurt from the braiding motion. Not something I do often.

I had an incentive to get it done - want to enter it in the competition at the Ex (Western Nova Scotia Exhibition) along with the lace shawl I finished this winter. I am also going to enter a purse I made from the recycled sari yarn given to me by Carol and Keith when they visited earlier in the month. I think it came out very nicely. I made two lengths of strap and put clips on the end so you could take them off and use it as a clutch, with a short or longer strap. Sort of playing around with the design.


The weekend of Seafest we had an "open house" on the Saturday for all the "Yarmouth Area Working Studios" that are in our brochure. I had to organize my "nest" so that I could have visitors.

It was very successful - for our first go at it. I have 6 visitors some I knew, some I didn't. Some local, a couple from Massachusetts and a woman from Pennsylvania. It was nice to talk to them and show them what I was doing. I had a simple sign made while I am waiting to figure out what kind of sign I want and what sort of logo to design or have designed for Tin Pot Textiles. I also have some of my work displayed in the case at the tourist bureau. It is a start but don't have anything to sell except for larger pieces. We are also getting things organized for the 2nd Annual Yarmouth Craft Splash, September 30th to October 6 - ends at the Thanksgiving weekend. At least the group of us are organizing to make Yarmouth a craft destination. So many great craftspeople here.

Your Dad and I then went to the Seafest Parade. It was a just terrific - from the RCMP to a cement truck decorated as a whale (the boom on the truck made the whale's tail move and it spouted water.) There was also a float in support of Dwight Deon a local (Pubnico) lobsterman who is in the final 8 for Canadian Idol! We also went to the fireworks but there was so much fog all you could see was the fog lighting up in colours and some trickles of sparks as they fell towards the harbour. It was oddly beautiful.

It has been warm here - for Yarmouth. It got up to the mid 80's and not a lot of wind - a breeze. I took my hooking out of the deck and worked there - Stan joined me and we listened to baseball on XM. This is a picture of him talking to you when you called. He had a nice birthday - but don't think he likes being an official "senior citizen" - don't think I am going to like it either. We still feel exactly like we did when we were married almost 45 years ago. It is nice being retired because we now have time to just sit in the sun when we want to. (PS - the red "egg" bird feeder you sent is just great - the birds love it, particularly the cardinals.)

The oriental I am working on is a Christmas present for your grandmother Place (actually it was supposed to be a Christmas present last year but didn't get it finished) so just has my side of the family on it. It is turning our very nicely. I will have to make one for Stan with all of us and the Jones crew.

I found a great standing frame - a Bliss/Harry M. Fraser. They are known for their cutters. The hookers I asked have never heard of a frame by them. It says "Bliss adjustable rug frame, Companion to the Bliss Strip Slitter". It has great hardware - locks tight. The frame was made in Connecticut and I got it from an Ebay seller in Vermont (wildflowerseeder). I have the oriental on it now and it makes it a lot easier and gets it off my lap. The downside is that it is not very portable. I have to start another rug to take "on the road".
Last I went to a great "hook-in" in Sandy Cove on Digby Neck. A group of us from the Rugg Bees went down to a great old cottage - converted from the Central Lodge at a girls camp - Arcadie - that ran from mid 1930's to the mid 70's. It was grand fun to just sit, hook, and talk and EAT!













That is about all we have been doing. Your dad is working on his trains and listening to baseball and trying not to work at anything official. I am mucking about. Clay may have an opportunity to work for White Ribbon in New York. You and Nathan will soon have your 1st anniversary. Life is good.

Know you are both enjoying your weekend with Nathan's family. Tell everyone hello for us. Hope Rushka is well - really worry about her. Dad told me she was going with you to the beach. We are not doing much this weekend. We did go down to see the parade of boats (sail and lobster boats) at the wharf - they were decorated with lights up and looked beautiful in the dark. It was foggy again so they sort of came out of the fog. It was really neat.

Love ya,

Mom

Mystery Stole Update

Hi Mom,

In your last post you asked about my Mystery Stole, so I thought I'd give up an update. I am happy to say that I am still going strong and have been able to keep up with all the clues so far. The pointed end is a first for me and I'm curious to see how it will all work out in the end. Here is my finished progress two weeks ago (at the end of Clue 2):


And again last week, at the end of Clue 3:


You may be able to tell that I am putting lifelines in at the end of each clue. There are really just for me to be able to mark my progress rather than for any real 'safety' reason. I have had to rip down a few rows twice so far to fix mistakes, but each time the stickiness of the Zephyr has held the stitches for me to pick up with relative ease. The measuring tape at the end of Clue 3 was to measure out how far I'd come as we should have been 1/3 of the way by that point. I eked out 24" with just a dry pinning which will give 72" minimum overall so I think I'll be alright!

As I said, the pointy shape is a new one for me, as are the beads; I'm still not sure how I'll like it all when it's finally done but for now I'm just enjoying the process. At present I am in the middle of super-long and super-repetitive Clue 4 (with a cat's paw lace pattern over and over and over again). We have two weeks for this Clue so that Melanie, the designer and head of this whole extravaganza, can have time off to read HP7 to her son! (I'm bringing my copy to the beach this weekend...)

Next Friday is the all-important Clue 5, where Something Big is going to happen. We were told emphatically to put a lifeline in at a very specific point in Clue 4 and to NOT purl back after the last row of the Clue, so I have no idea what is coming next! Clue 5 is also where the theme will be revealed. What will it be? So far the guesses have included everything from Pirates of the Caribbean to Swan Lake to Tibetan Gods & Goddesses. All I know is that I have no idea -I'm waiting to be surprised!

Megan

Wow! Meredith, Susan & Ellen's whirlwind San Francisco tour

View of San Francisco from Alcatraz!

Hi Mom,

I'm sure by now that you've heard all about Meredith, Susan & Ellen's excellent adventures in San Francisco - they are well chronicled in Ellen's blog! (Even just reading about everything we did makes me tired).

Just to add to the fun, here are some of the photos that Nathan & I took while they were here. True to form, they are somewhat odd, but I like them.

Local artists inspired by the swans at the Palace of Fine Arts

Susan, Me, Meredith & Ellen with the historic ships at Hyde Pier
(yes, this is a proper tourist photo and yes, it was taken by someone else - by an actual tourist who sweetly offered to take it for us)

Welcome signs at Alcatraz

Buildings on Alcatraz - former military barracks and warden's house

Pagoda through the trees at the Japanese tea garden

I have been keeping up with your posts, even if I haven't been writing much. I am so jealous that you got to meet one of the Gee's Bend quilters! I saw the exhibit when it was at the de Young last year, but didn't have a chance to meet any of the artists when they were there. I am sure you must be very inspired now to play with colors & forms in your own creations. The oriental rug you are hooking looks great. But if it is all our somewhat extended family where is Sally? Should she be there too?

I also loved all the signs along the roadway. You might just have to buy one - especially if you want to use it for inspiration in a rug. I think my favorite is: A Minute is a Long Time When Someone is in the Bathroom. And the pictures of the houses reminded me of San Francisco! (Even if you do seem to have more sun...)

A knitting update will follow soon,

Megan

My poppies actually bloomed!
Their happy red makes for a refreshing break from the fog...

Hi Megan, Susan, Ellen & Meredith!

Hi Megs,

Susan, Ellen and Meredith should be there by now - hi sisters and great niece! I know you will have as grand a time in San Francisco and we did! Megan and Nathan - they really know how to show you a good time. Just wanted to say hello!

Have not been doing much once I got the magazine done. I am waiting for it to come back from the printer.

There was a terrific presentation and exhibit at the Yarmouth Branch of the the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. We had Alabama's Gee's Bend Quilters exhibit here - some of their quilts and some from the local area. What was really nice was that Mary Lee Bendolph and her daughter-in-law, Louisiana P. Bendolph. First we saw the PBS documentary about Gee's Bend Quilters, then Mary Lee and Louisiana talked to us about their backgrounds and what gives them the inspiration for their quilts, then they deomonstrated for us. It was just magic! Mary Lee sang for us and really talked about herself. I had a nice talk with Louisiana after the formal session and she is just so interesting. Louisiana is doing a more modern version of the quilts, more thought out, less spontaneous and using "found materials" as does Mary Lee. Both are really interesting but Mary Lee's are powerful images and textures. I have never really liked formulaic patterned quilts but I do love theirs. I had seen a little of this exhibit when I was in Austin but being able to talk to the artists was really a different experience.

I have picked up my rug hooking again. I want to finish the Oriental, East Meets West, by the House of Price but I have adapted it for our family. I have both Carrie and Rushka in it as well as Susan, Ellen, Jack, Mother, Dad and Clay and You, Stan and Me. It is coming along very well. I am working on Rushka now. Jack is on "the Silver Steak" (bottom left) (Ellen and Susan will know what that is!), mother has the school bell, my father is driving the bus, Susan, Ellen and I are jumping rope, Megan has school books (partly finished (just legs) - up near the dogs), Clay is in yellow and Dad is in blue. Carrie is finished and Rushka is drawn. I am going to draw Nathan at the top and change one of the houses to a garden - my father always had a garden. It is oriental in that it is hooked in a straight line across the piece.

I am sure you will you are all going to have a great time in San Francisco. Take lots of pictures. I am putting in a picture of the GSE team in Brazil. Just getting the pictures sorted out. (l to r) Nola, Me, Amy, Heather-Ann. We are in Erechim.

Love you all,

Mom

Next Clue

Hi Megs,

I love your Mystery Stole3. By now you should be knitting on Clue 2. Really interesting that everyone - at least a lot of people - are making the same thing at the same time. Did you put an edging around the piece from chart A in Chart B? Keep me posted. This is interesting. Can't image how many e-mails you get from people who are working on these. I joined a group on Knitty once with Yahoo but hate to admit that I never figured out how to access it. This one I will have to figure out. I am sure it is easy if you know what to do.

I started Evan's sweater. Sally sent a picture:
He is really cute but your Dad thinks he should have had a KC Royals cap on - he said Sean promised he would! Guess we should knit him one. I am progressing on the sweater - not sure I like the effect of the light and dark denim yarns together - it actually looks better from a distance and I think when I wash and block the pieces the colours will run together. So I am going to continue.

I loved your pictures of Jefferson City. I tried to get one of the capital from the bridge but every one has a bridge post in the middle. It really is a nice city - but I remember it from forced field trips when I was in Junior high to "the capital" so it was sort of a blur. Have not been back inside the Capital building since. Maybe I should next time we visit Sally & Mike.

We had friends visit over the July 1 weekend. Carol and Keith are from Edmonton, Alberta. Keith is a colleague on the National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) Board of directors and were at the meetings in New Brunswick. They are visiting Nova Scotia before they go home. We also had a great meal of mussels and scallops the first night they were here. I did the mussels in Greens like we had them in San Francisco - and the scallops with line.

It was great to show off Yarmouth over the holiday weekend. We went out to the Yarmouth Light but by the time we got there, the fog had rolled in. But it was pretty. There was also an interesting new rock that must have been washed or blown in in the last storm. It was sticking up and looks just like a whale. It even has the eye!

We had a Lobster Festival on the wharf so we went to that as well. that we did-up, had lunch at the "fish wagon" on the wharf - just love the picture they have painted on the side of their truck - and the fish is THIS fresh! I had clams and chips.

We also found on a back road near the wharf a very interesting folk artist who puts up signs and wonderful figures. His philosophy of life is wacky but very optimistic. We read them and had a grand time. The artist/philosopher was mowing his lawn and watched us appreciate his work - and we really did. Hope you can read these because they are wonderful. These would also made wonderful primitive mats. I am asking around to find out who he is so I can ask him if I can use his figures. For example, "Hug your kids at home and belt them in the car", "Every acorn tree had two crazy nuts who decided to stand their ground", "Don't make your guests feel at home, if they wanted to be home they would have stayed there."














We also looked at the homes in Yarmouth. Some have new paint jobs and they are really nice. It is when you show someone else around that you appreciate the beauty of where you live.


It has stopped raining so I did some gardening today - got a sunburn. But nice settling in for a really nice summer. We are hearing reports of really high heats in the US but notice that San Francisco is staying in the 80's or low 90's. We, as usual, are in the high 70's and low 80's. We love it!

Keep me posted on how the visit with my sisters and great niece, Susan, Ellen and Meridith to San Francisco - and on your progress on the Mystery Stole3 and other things you are doing. You are going to be busy but also know you will knit along the way. San Francisco must be beautiful and I know they will enjoy it as much as we did. Send pictures!

Take care !

Love ya,

Mom

Mystery Beginnings

Hi Mom,

Well it is late on Thursday evening but I can finally say that I have completed Clue 1 of my mystery stole, and just in the nick of time - Clue 2 comes out tomorrow, and now I'm ready!

The madness started last Friday with the release of the first clue - I think I've been averaging 300 or so emails a day from knit-along members every since - some of whom actually finished the first day! Now, the stole begins life as a triangle, so many of the first rows are short. And I admit that after I got through Chart A (the first 50 rows) I did rip back 20 rows or so to correct a series of badly executed fudges where I had forgotten to put the beads on the far end (I now have a hopefully foolproof reminder system in place, we'll see how it goes). But I do not have the time, singleness of purposed or clearly the fast fingers needed to do this so quickly! Chart B (the second 50 rows) took me several days to work through and I really had to push tonight to get it done. I have a feeling I will start to fall behind with the next clue, which will likely have 100 rows of 99 stitches each to conquer. Especially with my push to get the gifts for Sarah complete (they would be already, if I didn't keep ripping back to re-do issues that probably only I can see) and my determination to really make headway on both my knitted and crocheted short sleeve sweaters. We'll see how it all goes!

For now, though, here is a journey of my progress so far:

First step was to print the 3 pages of the chart, then cut & paste them together;
(actual clue details obscured to protect the Mystery aspect)

By the end of the weekend I finally had Chart A complete (for the second and final time);

After a week of perseverance, Chart B is done and I've finished Clue 1!

Of course, since I got the Zephyr that I'm using for the Mystery Stole in Columbia, MO, it would only be right to add in some photos that we took while on the trip to Jeff City. We don't have any pictures of the wedding itself (why would we do a silly thing like that?) but we do have buildings and other odd sights well represented:

The sign & station at Jefferson Landing, the city train depot (where we watched the loooooooooooooooooooooooooongest train of coal cars I have ever seen go by!)

The funky little piece of urban graffiti on unused train cars that appeared to us AFTER the loooooooooooooooooooooongest train of coal cars finally passed us by.

The capital building. How could we leave without taking a picture of that?

And speaking of things from Jefferson City, I think your choice of sweater pattern for the newest Evan is perfect - they will love it. I'm sure you'll get it done before he's too old to wear it! Even with so many projects on the go. There is a perpetual discussion on my email knitting lists about how much stash is too much stash. I think your ongoing use of the Schoeller yarn is example enough of how prescient it can be to grab as much of a good bargain as you can when the opportunity presents!

Congratulations on finishing the issue of the rug guild magazine too. Now you get to rest & relax for a while - at least until the next one is due!

Happy knitting,

Megan

Back to Knitting and Hooking and Gardening!

Hi Megs,

I am finished with the RHGNS magazine - now called "The Loop"! While I enjoy doing it, coming back from my long time away and having to get into it was really hard. We also had some friends in from Alberta for the long weekend so I had a great excuse to put it off. The weather has been so nice that made it hard again. Finally had to get to it! I just got into a grove and it all fell into place. I am learning Corel 11 and each time it gets easier. It sort of builds like a knitting or hooking project. Starts out a concept and as I finish each page it turns into a publication. Took it to Garth the printer at noon and then I spent the afternoon cleaning up my little studio and this evening knitting! Yea!

I have to start a sweater for my new great nephew, Evan Michael. I know Sarah and Sean are really happy, happy as well as grandparents, Sally & Mike. And I get to knit a little sweater again. So I looked though all my great children's books - such great patterns. This is the pattern I chose - from Debbie Bliss, Cotton Denim Aran. I have some blue denim yarn in two colours that is lighter than Aran so I am going to use two strands - one of the light blue and one of the dark blue. The yarn is Jeans by Schoeller made in the Netherlands. I got it in Portland about 8 years ago. They were selling it off so I bought a lot and this will be the third thing I have made with it. It knits up really nicely but you do get blue dye on your hands. For this project I think it will work well and give a tweedy effect with the two colours. I am going to make it in the smallest size (2-4) so Evan will have to grow into it - plus you know how slow I knit because I overextend the # of projects I work on at once - and the rug hooking projects! You are much more constrained. I am going to have to live to be 100 to get them all done!

How is your "Mystery Stole 3" going? I really like the yarn you picked out - nice colour and I do think the beads would look nice - but you never know. How are the attaching the beads? Pre-stranded or hooked on as you go along? Please Post as you go along so I can see how this works. I went to the site and it sounds like a great concept. I should try it with a rug - starting from the middle and working out. It would be interesting.

And, speaking of projects, while I was in New Brunswick I drove down from Fredericton to the River Gallery - rug hooking mostly. Stan was in meetings all day Saturday. I got a pattern designed by a friend, Erin McKenna, called The "Celtic Cod". It is sort of like the Heron and Fish I did - a Celtic knot. Don't know when I will do it but thought it was nice - add it to my stash. While I was there I found out that another friend, Doris Norman, was teaching a course on rug finishing at the nearby Legion Hall so I went over. It was nice seeing her and getting connected back with rug hooking. When I got back from Brazil and then with a side trip to the US and then to New Brunswick - I felt rather disconnected from my life. So seeing you and Nathan, my mother and sisters, Stan's family, being with Stan and then with my rug hooking buddies as we worked our way back home was really nice. It was a strange feeling but feeling myself again with lots of memories.


So - take care of yourself and Nathan and Rushka and knit! After 4 beautiful days of sunlight while I had to work on the magazine, when I finished it is now raining so can't get to the garden. But - it will be a nice long summer!

Love ya,

Mom