p2together

Paula's Vegetables

2012-01-05T12:05:00.001-08:00

Knitted Vegtables - my Christmas preent from Paula Smith. They are amazing! Go figure. Paula loves to knit little complicated things. You should see her itty bitty chickens. I can't wait for the itty bitty rooster!

Thanks Paula!

My New Year's Resolution

2012-01-03T04:56:00.000-08:00

My Resolution is to post on this poor blog I have ignored for a year.... I also actually finished something instead of started something(s). I love to start things but finishing is another thing. This is my fast "get this out of my stash" project I started as a Christmas project. Lots of wonderful crazyness in October and November with family - son got married, we went to Toronto to take care of grandchild while sone and new daughter-in-law took a mini-moon. Got to see grandson and daughter and son-in-law and sisters and nieces and ..... at the wedding so we had a quiet Christmas. What a better time that that to actually finish something. So I did.

This was made with 3 balls of fine lace weight yarn held together (thus almost 3 balls out of my stash but now I have one smaller ball that I have absolutely no idea what to do with - so back to the stash. My father had a saying, "Take half and leave half and you will always have some." So true of my stash!) .

The pattern is called Mezquita Shawl by Zen Gardens. So - a question from friend Paula, "What Next?"

Such beautiful weather

2010-03-18T12:59:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

What beautiful weather we are having in Yarmouth! Still waiting for grandchild #1.

To catch up - I finished the Jones Farm, 1878, Sedalia Missouri, Stan's family home. Really proud of it and Stan loves it - that is important! All the wool his hand dyed by Pam MacIsaac-Adams with some little help from me.

The Farm has now a US National Historic Site. We shipped the mat down to Missouri for the celebration.

This is a really nice sweater that I knitted for a client - for one of her good friends. It is from Rowan Classic Collection, #13, Alpaca. It came out perfect - very happy with it and it is so soft. It is in Rowan Baby Alpaca DK, colour Cheviot #207. I love the asymmetric pattern - it repeats on the back and one sleeve is the little motif and the other is the large. The collar really worked well - it has a lovely soft drape that alpaca gives.

It is so nice that it is Spring! Grandchildren coming, lovely weather, my health is good, sun is shining!

I am also working on a beautiful men's sweater from Kaffe Fassette's, Jack's Back. It was originally published in a his "Glorious Knits" for men and reprinted with a whole new set of yarns in "Kaffe Knits Again." I have combined these two patterns and new yarns. My client is a well known photographer so he has given the colours a little boost. Each row has at least 4 colours - two per colour, takes care but is so wonderful.

The wool is all Rowan Scottish Tweed 4 ply is 18 different colours.
Going to enjoy the rest of my day!

Ann

Been a long time!

2010-03-17T18:03:00.001-07:00

It has been a long time since I added anything to this Blog but thought it was about time. A lot of projects, a lot of living, and time passes just too fast.

Here is the progress on my flower mat since I last posted. But I do have all the flowers done once!

Son Clay and fiance Laurie have a great new condo in Toronto are expecting their first child, our first grandchild, any minute! Literally!

Megan and Nathan have a new house in San Francisco and are having our second grandchild in July.

Life is great!

I am making baby things:

Fall into Winter

2008-11-21T06:31:00.000-08:00

Hi Megs,
We are now moving into winter with our first very slight snowfall and the Santa Claus Parade of Lights is tonight in Yarmouth. So, guess Christmas is almost here. I have to catch up a little with the blog!

Time goes so fast - really Crazy. September was particularly busy. I went to the Rug Hooking Guild of NS Rug School in Cornwallis. I took Fine Shaded Flowers. It was a challenge but I did like it. My friend, Bette Wrathal was the teacher so that was a treat. I really like her and she is a great teacher. This is the result of my efforts so far. Bette designed the mat - it is called Julia Ruth after one of her granddaughters. She names all her rugs for her many granddaughters.
To add to it all, we also took our rug hooking shop from Hands on Crafts to Rug School and did very well. We were a popular shop because we had lots of wool thanks to my Rug Hooking partner Pam MacIsaac-Adams but we also had yarns, beads, buttons and all kinds of funny things that people liked. I think we will do it again next. Year. The picture is of Doris Cooke in our shop. Poor Doris and Pam had to staff the shop while I had fun at rug school. I relieved them when I had time.

We had a great class - Bette is in the middle with the beautiful white hair. She is waring a vest she made with rug hooked flowers on it. She really is great and I really had a good time. A whole week of hooking with really interesting women and a few brave me. Know it sounds crazy but it was so relaxing and refreshing!

After Rug School we had our 3rd Annual Yarmouth and Acadian Shores Craft Splash - it was very successful! We had over 1200 participants who took part directly and many more who were observers. We kicked things off with a Sheep to Shawl (modified because we couldn't really sheer the sheep in the winter - and our token sheep was a male!) But we cut the roving with the Town Crier in attendance - beautiful fall day at the Yarmouth Light. Romulus behaved nicely and we had lots of locals and tourists looking on.

We asked everyone to make a 6"X6" square from natural hand spun yarn - (all us spinners supplied the wool) and this was the result! We expected to make a shawl that was 3 squares by 15 squares - or 45, but we got 80 so the "shawl" is now a throw that is 5 X 16 squares. It is just wonderful and cosy. We auctioned it off at our "almost" closing event - a Mad Hatters Tea Party and Michael and Francis Morris won it. It is really nice.

During the Craft Splash there was an amazing quilt show at the church. When you walked in the colours, the images, the quilts just took your break away! I may try to design a rug of the quilt show.

In October I attended a symposium in Amherst Nova Scotia with Dianne Fitzpatrick. She is an extremely talented hooker who is very well known. She has published books and is a regular contributor to Rug Hooking Magazine. Her work is amazing. She is originally from Newfoundland and her work reflects this. Again, it was refreshing. I am trying to do more interesting things and this symposium gave a lot of inspiration. There were rug hookers, knitters, spinners, doll makers. We all got to sit and do our thing while we listened to and talked with very interesting speakers who were artisans and artists. Really neat and me a lot of interesting people. The picture is of Dianne with one of her rugs in the background.

Doris Eaton was also there. She is another amazing hooker, teacher and designer - the "grand dame" of hooking in Nova Scotia. Next year Dianna and Doris are combining to do a course on "blank burlap" hooking - hooking directly from your mind to burlap. I would love to go but - it is expensive! We will see. Below is a rug done by Doris.

Since I last blogged I have published two issues of The Loop since I last wrote, the September and November ones. I had a great cover for the September.

I am also now editing and publishing the Newsletter for the Nova Scotia Association of Garden Clubs called the Scotia Gardener. It is only 6 pages where the magazine - The Loop - is over 30 pages. I do like doing it and I get to "talk" (sometimes vie e-mail) to a lot of interesting people.

We had a great hook-in with the hookers from the valley.
They were doing very interesting things. We then did a two-week course with Germaine James. I am still working on the Jones house in Sedalia. It is coming along very well - but am learning as I go to do this - picture to rug thing. It is like painting with wool and it is a challenge. king on the Jones Farm. It is coming along.
My last travel for the fall was to Ottawa to the board meeting for the Forum for Young Canadians and also visited with old friends. Went shopping with Pat - got some new pants that I needed - and really enjoyed it. Always fun running around with Pat, and seeing my old buddies.

Now my "wings" have been clipped from all this running around because I broke my leg. It is a long story but to say that I have time to work of all the stuff that is accumulating as "projects" and not finished. I am making progress but find it very frustrating.

Really looking forward to everyone being home at Christmas but don't expect much. I don't get my walking cast until Dec 16th and can't drive and am currently hobbling around on crutches and a walker. Not very dignified and very slow. I don't like slow!

Take care, loved your pictures of Argentina. Reminded me of Brazil. South America is really beautiful.

Hope Rushka is being a good dog. Give her a hug for me.

Love ya,
Mom
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What a summer!

2008-09-06T06:24:00.001-07:00

Hi Megs,
Wow - what a summer. It has been nuts - but fun. Lots of knitting and rug hooking and.....
I will start with the last things I have done since I last posted while we wait for post-tropical storm (whatever that means) Hanna to blow over us. It has already started to rain.

I am proud that I crossed the finish line of the Ravelympics. I cast on during the opening ceremonies (August 8) and finished my project at 11:59pm Saturday, August 16. I knitted a lace shawl with very fine lace weight Marino wool. The pattern is Luminaria by Elizabeth Freeman from Knitty, Spring 08. It really came out well but my fingers got very sore. Had to take aspirin (they guys at Rotary asked if I had to take a "doping" test!).

It has clear glass seed beads knitted in throughout - they shine in the light. Proud of it and also at how fast I did it. Stan was out of town - in France - so I could just knit!

We just had our Friends from Louisiana visit - they "evacuated" from the Southern part where Gustav was hitting. This was the return visit for the Rotary Friendship Exchange we went on in June. We had a very nice visit.

In August we had the Western Nova Scotia Exhibition. I did very well. Won Knitting Best-in-Show for my Hanami and (get this!) Best-in-Show for Crocheting for the crochet/felted ruck sack I made from Noro. AND I won Best-in-Show for my sugar cookies! I think that they were made in the shape of lobsters helped win the day.

Every piece of knitting I took won first - a little hat (pink one with buttons), the Noro strip scarf. My rug hooked frog purse won first in purses. So did very well. My rug hooking didn't do as well but was happy that we had LOTS of mats to compete. Pam, my business partner at Hands on Crafts won Best of Show with a beautiful flower mat she designed.

A photograph I took of a Day Lily in the garden - by the big rock won 2nd place in the photography. I am proud of this because I was up against really great photographers here in Yarmouth.So - a very successful EX. Next year I am going to get ALL the members of our knitting guild to enter so there will be a LOT of competition. It is more fun that way.

I have been knitting rabbits - lots of rabbits. I have another Russel, a Dudley (my sister's will know why I named him Dudley) and a Veronica (a ballerina). Russel won best "doll" at the Ex.

I have also been very busy at Hands on Crafts We are doing very well selling our Rug hooking Supplies, knitting, books, cutters, all kinds of things. Having fun with this.

So - the summer has gone, into fall. Happy 2nd Anniversary on Tuesday 9/9/08! Next year you will be 9/9/09! I am getting ready to go to RHGNS Rug School in Cornwallis Park on Sept. 15th. I am taking Fine Shaded Flowers with Bette Wrathall. We are taking our hooking supplies and Doris and Pam are going to staff the store - so another busy month.

Take care - OH! Your brother is now a home owner! He and Laurie bought a condo in downtown Toronto. Moving in in mid October. They are very excited - good on them! Hockey season (MJAHL) has also started - last night was an exhibition game. Fall/Winter has started!

Love ya,
Mom
XXXXXXOOOOOPPPPPPP

Home from Missouri

2008-07-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs

I am now home from Missouri visiting mother, sisters, nieces, nephews, in-laws, great nieces and nephews - Joneses and Places - had a great time and it was wonderful being able to see so many family members.

Your grandmother is very well and LOVES the socks you made for her. She wears them "out" when she goes down to eat or if she has visitors - she has a lot of visitors! There was a 50 year Lee's Summit High School reunion (brother Jack's class) and she was the "bell of the ball" - so says the Lee's Summit paper! Not bad for an over 90.
I also took her the Place/Jones family mat, I called it "Mother's Mat" and she really likes it. I explained who everyone was - she put it on the floor (I really like mats on the floor where they belong) and everyone who comes she explains who everyone is - including Rushka and Carrie.

She particularly liked Jack on the "Silver Streak" - she had forgotten about that old bike we all used - but we never will!

I went to Evan's first birthday (that is the Murray "Evan") in Kansas City and it was a grand time. Got to see Sarah and Sean, Sally and Mike and other Jones cousins, friends and Sean's parents.

Evan was given his first birthday cake - had never eaten cake before.

His eyes bugged out the first time he tasted SUGAR! He is so cute and lively, was getting ready to walk but has now walked.

As a gift I made "Russell". Russell was welcomed into the Murray home. I made him from the NorNoro wool and angora blend I bought in Columbia when we went to Anne's wedding. The sweater is made from some hand spun I picked up in Amherst, NS, and Dianne Fitzpatrick's studio. Russel is so soft. The Pattern is "Small rabbit with sweater" (modified to fit the yarn) from Debbie Bliss, Toy Knits. I like Russell.

On Canada Day (July 1) we celebrated in Susan's backyard. All the Place sisters, in-laws, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, friends were there. It was a challenge for the teenage girl at the Price Chopper to come up with the Canadian Flag but she was so proud of herself - she found it! Meredith, Amelia, Evan (the Burns Evan), and Tate were great fun. They ran around. Amelia was weaving a long stand on her fingers from the tube things that we used to make pot holders from. It was really neat. Very nice Canada Day picnic!

I stayed with Ellen. We did a search for rug hooking and knitting shops. We did find a rug hooking section - a really good one for primitive hooking - in Greenwood - part of a "general" store.

We also went to the shop in Independence - and I did try to get tickets to hear Obama when he spoke in Independence earlier in the day but they were sold out - available from 1 to 4, I got there at 3:30 and they were gone! But we did get some nice yarn. Susan really liked the 3 button shawl I made so I gave her the pattern I worked out and she bought some yarn to make one for the two sisters. Susan showed me her latest projects -YIKES - a very big and really neat
American flag afghan.

You can't see it in the picture but every square has a "relief (k/p)" picture of one of the US states. There blue section has stars and there is also the Liberty Bell. She is going to put it in a school auction to raise money. It is something!

I flew home over the flooding. You could really see it as we went over the Mississippi and Missouri. It was wild. Got bounced in Chicago when United cancelled the flight to Halifax - got home a day late and my luggage arrived 4 days later. But did get home!

Since I have been home I have been busy with the shop. Lots of tourists in Yarmouth getting off the Cat. It has been lively on Main Street. Pam M-A and I set up our shop at the Spring Fling (a hook-in in Yarmouth put on by the Rugg Bees). We did very well and I think our shop was appreciated - from the comments we received. I think I am a budding entrepreneur.

Dad loved his book and his Cardinal BBQ cover! But the Nova Scotia wind has done some damage. It has been patched with duck tape. It is a feature on the deck and can be seen when you turn up Session Hill - over the lake - on the way home! We will never get lost.

Hope all is well with you'll. Don't work too hard - it is summer. I see that San Francisco is very dry and Dad checks your temperature every day on his new IPhone. Getting it was an adventure!

Love ya,

Mom
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Noro Striped Striped Scarf

2008-06-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs

I finished the Noro striped, striped scarf. I made it from Kureyon colourways #207 and #164. Think it turned out really nice - used all of 4 skeins but had to do a little patching because Noro has the AWFUL habit (GRRRRRR) of suddenly having a knot and the colour changes dramatically. I had to kind of hunt and paste to get back to the colour flow. It is about 6 1/2 feet long and the colours make it unisex - really nice for everyone and will match anything. It is also nice and soft .

And - what is worse that getting behind a bicycle on the highway?

Getting behind a unicycle!

Yarmouth hosted the First Annual Ride the Lobster 800 km unicycle relay race. It started in Yarmouth as most contestants came over on The Cat. I kept "running" into them. I had to go to Halifax yesterday for a root canal and had to pick up things all over (hoops, hooks, wool) as I worked my way back to Yarmouth. I was going back to Yarmouth as the unicycles were working their way towards Halifax.

My mouth is sore, your father is in Frankfort with a new project with ETS on adult literacy testing, so it is quiet here - or should have been. I had some visitors to the studio (Tin Pot Textiles) which was nice. They liked my work and we had a nice chat except that I also had the Orkin Man here at the same time because we found some ants but he couldn't find any - except the way the mice were getting into the basement (which I fixed with some expanding foam and steel wool) .....interesting afternoon!

Dad really liked his father's day present, your brother is having success playing with the Styrofoam Ones (a group in Toronto - Clay plays the drums) - all is well.

Love ya,

Mom

Knitting Noro

2008-06-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

I have been on a Noro frenzy these days. I am doing the scarf with stripes - two rows from each of two skeins of Noro. I saw a picture of it on a post and have worked to get it right. I used Kureyon, colours 207 and 164 (browns, greens, purples, orange, & blues). The one I saw I think was made from Silk Garden. I just made up what to do until it looked right. It doesn't look like it but it is ribbed (k1,p1). This way you don't see the loops going over the colours on the purl rows. I slipped the stitches on either side and it hides the carried yarn nicely. I cast on 33 stitches - odd # for the ribbing - (to get about 6 inches). I think it looks nice - so far - but I may get into some colour combinations that are teeth grinding awful - we will see. It does keep me knitting to see what is coming next!

I also am doing the little purses again. I now call them "Colours of Nova Scotia". I gave them as gifts when I went to Louisiana and everyone really liked them. They take about 2 hours to do so nice for an evening project.

I also saw a woman wearing a scarf that had three buttons and a button hole and could be adjusted so I worked on this as well and it also came out nicely. I used 3 strands of Cotton Freedom in a light yellow (#07). It really drapes nicely and it can be warn at 3 different levels or just not buttoned. Really like it.

I cast on 47 stitches and again slipped the last stitch (purlwise) of each row to give it a nice finish on the edges. The buttons are really nice. They are ceramic from Africa. We just got this line in at Hands on Crafts and they are really nice. All kinds of shapes and sizes.

I think the next one of these I make I will only use 2 strands. This one is a little thick but it will be SO nice on a cool evening - like we have around here.

That is what I have been up to. I did join Ravelry (my name is TinPot) and really enjoying it. I have made connections with several Nova Scotia knitters - one with a brother who lives in Yarmouth who I know from Rotary.

I put up my hummingbird feeder on the NEW big kitchen window and now we have constant hummingbird wars outside. Love it! The cardinals are back and always go to the red egg feeder you got me for Christmas. I think they like the colour. It seems each bird has their favourite place to eat. We have the usual invasion of squirrels (always think of Rushka when I see them). I finally just left a feeder for them - they sort of live in the thing - and the other birds just ignore them as you can see in the picture. I have given up the fight. This year we also have real chipmunks who come regularly. They like the wooden platform feeder but have not been fast enough yet to get a picture.

Take care. Will have a nice Father's day on Sunday.

Love you all!

Mom
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Spring is here!

2008-05-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs

Can't believe it is Spring already - although I got a little taste of summer when we were in Southern Louisiana. Your father and I had a grand time. I took my little purses as our hostess gifts and made some for my friend Irene who went as well, for her hostess gifts. We were on a Rotary Friendship exchange.

We went to New Orleans, Houma, DeRidder, Abbeville and Baton Rouge. The group from Louisiana are visiting us in September. We had a really great time. I loved it all - but found the swamp was just beautiful! We also saw the devastation in New Orleans - really overwhelming! But also flew over the marsh area south of Homua - southwest of New Orleans and saw the damage and loss of wetland.
We also went to a music festival in Lafayette (and a great craft fair), the state houses (old and new) in Baton Rouge, to LSU - walked on the field, went through the "hanging jail" in DeRidder, visited plantations along the Mississippi (Oak Alley, Ashland/Belle-Helen (where Chef KD made us a Cajun meal and cooking lesson - wow!), Homus-House), went to St. Martinville (Acadian monument and wonderful church), a production of Hair at LSU on the 40th anniversary of the play a - just so much to do and see. Most of all we talked and got to know people who live and understand Louisiana.

Thank you for the wonderful book , "Plants and Their Application to Ornamentation" you gave me for mother's day. It is just wonderful and is inspiring. Each flower and how they used it in their designs are really amazing. I also like the muted colours. Great gift. Dad gave me two gifts - a new garden cart - for both of us from Lee Valley Tools and a GPS system for my car so I wouldn't get lost and I can use my phone "hands free" through it (new law in Nova Scotia).

As to knitting and rug hooking - I am working on a lot of stuff but haven't finished much of anything. I have been busy making kits for a beginners rug hooking class, getting stuff stocked for the store, starting projects but not finishing any of them!

We did have some excitement. We had a wind and rain storm in March and when we looked out on Sunday morning the boat shed (with the canoe and kayak in it) was blown off its footings a complete 180 onto the rock wall. Must have been some gust because this shed, made by the students and NSCC Carpentry class - was solid - like a little house! Crazy Crazy.

Doris, Annie and I did have a booth at the Destination Southwest Tourism Expo in Halifax. It was an interesting day but it snowed and snowed so we didn't have many people.

We did visit Fleece Artist in Mineville, outside Dartmouth, when we were in Halifax (Dartmouth is on the other side of the bay). It was amazing. So much wool, so little time! I found visiting the area where they dyed the yarn really interesting. I got some Sea Wool (70% Marino, 30% Seacell), Somoko (65% Marino, 20% Kid, 10% nylon, 5% silk), and Scottish Silk (65% wool, 35% silk) (left to right in the picture). The Sea Wool has a very subtle dye pattern. Creams and grays. I am making the Vine Lace Cardigan from Gathering of Lace with the Sea Wool. This is a "work in progress". All of my things are "works in progress".

We also had a "Mushroom" class - rug hooked mushrooms - with Carol Harvey Clark. She has Spruce Top Rug Hooking and Econo Musee in Mahone Bay. It was a neat class. I made 4 mushrooms that I am going to make into broaches. They are kind of neat - didn't know mushrooms could be so interesting.
This is the group of us - and below are my mushrooms - have to finish them!

The Rugg Bees and Carpetbaggers also hooked a mat to raffle off for the Cancer Centre at the hospital. It is called "Keep on Moving" - the tickets are $2 or $5 for 3. It is a really nice mat, designed by Gayle Deone, on of our members. The tickets are selling very well - we are selling them at Hands on Crafts. We are going to draw in October.

So that is about all I have been doing. They guys are working outside - now that it is dry and warm - putting the boat shed back up.

Hope all is well with you both - and Rushka. We would love to come visit again - maybe in the Fall. We have a busy summer - but come and see us - a trip to NS in the summer.

Love ya,

Mom
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Easter Knitting

2008-03-04T06:47:00.001-08:00

Hi Megs,

I have been Easter Knitting - Easter Eggs! I think I have lost it! I call them "Egg's new Easter Sweater".

Can't believe it is almost Easter. Happy birthday to Nathan (3/3) and this year, Easter is so early it is a couple of weeks before your birthday (4/4).

I have been very busy working on the latest edition of The Loop, the Ru g Hooking Guild of Nova Scotia Magazine. Took it to the printer yesterday - now I wait until I have to mail it out - but the "monkey" is off my back and onto Garth's, our printer.

I have been busy - mostly rug hooking. I had a hook-in at our house - 4 days with 11 of us plus "drop-ins". It was really nice. This house is a nice sport. Lots of light and I think everyone found it comfortable. We had a good time just hooking and talking.

I have been working away at Hands on Crafts. Our shop will also be one of the shops at the Spring Fling Hook-in in June so we are busy getting wool dyed for this.

I have also been knitting and hooking. I finished a diagonal scarf made with Noro. I had one of these but lost it somewhere so I made another to replace it. I also hooked a Welcome mat. It is a Deanne Fitzpatrick that I picked up some years ago at the funny little knitting & everything shop in Whitney Pier in Cape Breton (outside Sydney). It is made totally of Frenchy's wool. Really like it. I have it for sale down at Hands On.

I have also been working on the Jones Farm. Pam MacIsaac -Adams , my partner in the hooking shop at Hand On, did most of the dyeing for the mat. I particularly like the "old brick" a colour from Christine Little at Encompassing Designs in Mahone Bay. I had to overdye it lightly with seal brown (Magic Carpet dye) to get it toned down a little but it really seems to work. I am following the picture and it is really interesting and coming out well. Like painting with wool.

Now that the magazine is done I can do what I like - hooking, knitting and spinning! Really enjoying the spinning. It is SO relaxing. Sitting down and just spinning, they rhythm of it - I just love. I am working on colours right now. I am spinning leaf green, purple and blue and then will ply them together to see what I get.
Your father is off today to St. Lucia to do some work with them on adult literacy. He won't be gone for very long but at least he will be warm for a little while!

Love and pats for Rushka.

Mom XXXOOOPPPP

Knitter, Rug Hooker, Spinner and now Crochet?

2008-01-27T06:58:00.000-08:00

Hi Megs,

I loved your pictures of Zanzibar! Wow. I then went into the link to all the pictures. You and your new husband (an our new son), Nathan, look so happy! What a wonderful adventure. I particularly like the pictures of the beach and boats and where you stayed. It brought back memories of Namibia - our funny little house on the Kanini River. Like all mothers, I love to see my children happy, happy.

We are enjoying our winter. There is something about winter - looking outside with the snow, frost, rain, wind but being cozy inside. I got up about 6:15 yesterday morning and looked out and there were 6 deer eating grass through the sprinkling of snow right outside the front windows. It was beautiful.

I am really enjoying working away on my knitting, rug hooking and spinning - and I have added crochet. I had not taken up a crochet hook for 30 years. I saw this pattern for a ruck sack in an old Rowan Magazine (#16). I had some Noro (I always keep a supply of Noro around - I love knitting with it) Kureyon so I stated messing with it - found the little wrist twist came back really fast - and before long it was done! Really like it. I did cheat with the straps. I got this funny little knitting machine on EBay - from the 1940's. It makes I-cord by turning the little crank. It is a very solid little thing - made of metal. It is called the Hobby-Knit. I didn't think Noro, not being spun tightly, would fit it it but it did. I cranked away and out came the I-cord. It has 6 hooks so it makes a really nice dense cord. It is a hoot! I really like the colours of the Noro that came through on the bag. This is a keeper! My new knitting bag!

And my spinning - having a grand time with this. I am getting better. I plied my first wool - and you can see from the balls of yarn - from left to right - good, better, best.... I now want to play with some colour and maybe some dying. But I do like the natural colours. Don't know what I am going to make with it yet.

I have also been knitting. I made two more little purses - played with the design and with beads. I like the way they look.
As to rug hooking. I am working on a mat I don't like - a Welcome Mat with lobster boats - that is using a big cut - #6 - just want to get it finished. I like a small cut, #3 or #4 at the largest. What I am looking forward to is a mat that Pam MacIsaac-Adams drew for me of your father's grandfather's house in Sedalia (1878). I am colour planning it now and will try to dye the wool myself or have Pam help me. I took a picture of the house when we were home this summer and she drew the mat based on it. Stan's aunt, Betty Bob, who with Uncle Van (Stan's dad's youngest brother) now own the house and farm, is in the picture with the wheelbarrow.

I think it will be really nice when I finish it. I am itching to get started. I am going to White Point Beach again, Feb 3-6, for a 4 day hook-in with the South Shore women. We are also going to have a 4 day hook-in at our house for the local hooking groups, Carpetbaggers and Rugg Bees, Feb 18-21. I have to get the wool dyed so I can work on it so I can take it to these. I think they will like hooking at our house because it is easy to clean the hardwood floors - and the views and lots of light.

So, I am spinning, knitting, rug hooking and now crochet. Busy, busy. And then there is "the shop", Hands on Crafts. Doris and I took part in a Women's Winterlude show yesterday - a showcase for women in business. We had THE most colourful booth and met a lot of people who didn't know about the shop or didn't know all the things we now have rug hooking supplies, wool, roving, and beads. It was fun.
In the middle, front you can see the rug I am working on know (one the frame with the green cover around it (the cover protects my wrists from the gripper strips)). It says "Welcome" and has two lobster boats on it - one yellow, one red.

I went to see the movie, Juno with some of my Kayaking buddies - really recommend it. As a former high school teacher and principal I can tell you that it was so real! These are not "Hollywood" 16 year olds but REAL 16 year olds. So well written and acted - and Ellen Page is from Halifax.

We have been going to Mariner hockey games, to Bruno's special dinners and enjoying winter and just keeping cozy in the house. It has been a nice winter.

Take care.

Love ya,

Mom
XXXXOOOOPPPPP

Zanzibar, Part 1

2008-01-20T15:15:00.001-08:00

Hi Mom,

Well, after a long delay, here finally are our pictures from our Zanzibar honeymoon last October/November! What's below represents a very small sampling of all the pictures we took - a larger selection can be found on my flickr page. But these are the highlights of our trip!

We left on a Friday morning, flying to New York, then London and finally Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where we landed very early Sunday morning. That our plane was early was perfect timing, as we managed to catch a cab and get to the ferry terminal just in time to be rushed onto a 7:30 ferry to Zanzibar. The our and a half ferry ride was just enough time to relax and actually absorb the fact that we were in Africa!

Boats in Stonetown harbor.

We called ahead to let our hotel know we were on our way, and were picked up at the ferry terminal (a good thing, as it was total chaos at the arrivals area!) and brought to our home for the night in Stonetown, historic 236 Hurumzi (formerly Emerson & Green). We were given the Tour Suite, which was beautiful - it had it's own little rooftop deck with a view of the Hindu temple next door and the harbor beyond.

Tour Suite, and it's view of Stonetown from the rooftop gazebo.

It was great to get in to Stonetown several hours earlier than planned, giving us time to relax over a lunch of hummus and falafels at a restaurant named for famous Zanzibari singer Bi Kidude, and then get out and explore the town.

An outside view of a Muslim temple, and one of Stonetown's many carved doors.
(More pictures of Stonetown and it's sights are on flickr!)

That night we had reservations at the hotel's TowerTop restaurant, where we were served a feast and treated to dancers and singers between courses. At the end of the meal, they invited selected diners to come up and dance with them - guess who was chosen to hit the floor!

My husband, dancing!

The next day we headed about 20 mintues outside the city to Mbweni Ruins hotel, where we were to stay for most of our trip. Right on the beach, this hotel is set next to the ruins of a former girl's school after which it's named.

Some of the Mbweni Ruins.

The beach and dock at Mbweni.

With friendly staff, a wonderful restaurant and just a generally relaxing atmosphere, this was a great base for the next few days exploring the island. We went to Jozani forest to see the red colobus monkeys:

We went back to Stonetown for more exploration and a little bit of shopping, including the quilted pillowcase for you from the Sasik women's collective:

And we went on a Spice Tour, were we learnt about all of the island's spice crops (pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, curry and on and on...) and were hosted by a great guide.

My husband, decked out in style for the spice tour, while I enjoy some coconut milk at the end of the walk.

We also took every opportunity to capture the spirit of Zanzibar:

Two coconuts waiting for a ride?

Schoolchildren on a break between classes.

A special kind of palm tree, and how to get your satellite service in style!

After three days at Mbweni, we packed our bags to head out on our next series of adventures - more on that to follow!

Zanzibar, Part 2

2008-01-20T14:33:00.001-08:00

After spending our first part of the trip on the island of Zanzibar itself, we had the opportunity to spend one day and night further removed, on Chumbe Island Coral Park, an eco-resort off the west coast. (Really, we planned to go just for the day, but when I realized that I had goofed and not booked us anywhere to stay the night of the first - and that they had a room available that very evening - how could we resist the opportunity to stay over?)

Although it was just 24 hours, Chumbe was definitely the highlight of our stay. Photographs can't really convey how wonderful this place was - snorkeling excursions in the morning, forest walks in the afternoon, fabulous meals throughout the day and lots of time to just relax in one of the 7 eco-bungalows where guests stay. Again, there are many more photos on flickr!

On the way to Chumbe (how great that the pick-up point for the boat was at Mbweni Ruins resort?)

A hermit crab on the beach at Chumbe - these were everywhere on the island.
(We also stumbled across - literally - a huge coconut crab on our way home from dinner. I don't know who was more surprised, him or us!)

Our home for the night, bungalow #7 (left) and the Chumbe lighthouse (right).

After our night in paradise, we sadly had to pack back up and make our way to our last big stop, Matemwe resort on Zanzibar's east coast. This was a small but luxe all-inclusive place that again had wonderful food, a relaxing atmosphere and wonderful service - we were treated like stars!

Nathan enjoying the sunrise coffee & tea service on the oceanfront veranda of our bungalow.

Not only were we treated every morning as we watched the sun come up and the fishermen set out, but on our last night the manager surprised us with a private meal to celebrate our honeymoon. Champagne, rock lobster, prawns and more - so much more than we could possibly eat! It was a wonderful end to a relaxing few days.

Women on the beach at Matmwe, while fishermen sail by.

On the beach at Matemwe at low tide.

For Matemwe village, everything happens on or near the beach!

Too soon, though, our last day was upon us and it was time to start the slow return back to civilization. Our original plan had been to take the ferry back to Dar es Salaam the day before our 9am flight. Once again, though, luck was with us and we managed to find a small charter flight from Zanzibar that was scheduled specifically to leave at dawn to connect with our BA flight home - and there were two tickets left for the day we were leaving! - allowing us one more day on the island.

Since Mbewni Ruins hotel is right next to the airport, we decided to stay there as a base for our final day as we headed back to Stonetown for one last visit. There we had a wonderful lunch at a coffee house (cardamom coffee, delicious), did some final shopping (wait until you come visit us and see the lintel post we shipped home as luggage!) and came across a sign that Nathan will hopefully keep in mind from here on out:

We stayed in Stonetown until evening, going to the Fordhani evening market for what was probably the best food of our whole trip, cooked fresh on the seafront from the catch of the day served to us by an entertaining group of vendors all certain that theirs was the freshest and tastiest option, and eaten by the light of gas lamps and flashlights:

(Too bad that by the time we got to this feast, we were still too full from all the food we'd eaten over the course of our holiday that we could hardly take in anything at all!)

Then, sadly, it was back to the hotel to pack and get ready for our 6am flight to Dar and home. We brought back lots of mementos and memories, though - and we're already looking for our next trip that will give us a chance to relax like this!

Love,

Megan

Spinning!

2008-01-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

Hi Megs,

The pictures of the storm - wow. You have so many trees with so many branches to fall on so many things. We have so much wind around here that any tree branch or tree to come down has already come down! Hope all is quiet now. I haven't heard much more in the news.

Our Christmas, like yours was really nice. We got lots of loot. Here is a picture of Clay relaxing in the Sun after a very big Christmas dinner and Stan reading a gift - Clay got his a subscription to the London Review of Books. In fact, like you, we got a lot of books!

But my best, best present was all the yarn from you and Clay and a spinning wheel from Stan! It is an Ashford Traditional. I had to put it together and then I oiled it with Teak oil - all by myself.

Then I had to learn to spin....GRRRRR. I almost gave up and thought I was just too old to "walk and chew gum" at the same time. But in the case of spinning you have to get the wheel going slowly with the treadle, hold the wool so it will twist and go onto the bobbin with the right hand and draw out the roving with the left hand in time with the right! I got some Corriedale roving - really nice - but Yikes! I worked with Doris (who spins so beautifully) for over 3 hours and all I got was lumps, twings, crazy knots and aggravation! I also wasted a lot of the beautiful roving. Finally Doris very kindly said, maybe you should take a break and knit for a little while...so I did.

This is what my first wool looked like (not plied the is one long lumpy strand - I just gave up on it - too big, too lumpy, too nuts!)
I got a book "The Ashford Book of Spinning" by Ann Field. It said "....co-ordination is the key to spinning, you will suddenly find that you have "got" it." I was not so sure about this but I worked at it in the mornings (we put the wheel at the bottom of the stairs) and wow....all the sudden I DID have it. The wheel speed, pinch and pull all worked and am I proud of myself - this old gal!

I now have one spools spun and another one in progress.

Then I will be ready to ply it - that is my next challenge. You have to spin the wheel in the opposite direction (counter clockwise). I think I will check with Doris before I take this next step.

So wish me luck. Someday I may actually make something out of what I am spinning.

I do like it. It is so nice to sit and spin - oddly relaxing and satisfying.

Take care - looking forward to seeing your honeymoon pictures and your knitting.

Love ya,

Mom
XXXXOOOOOPPPPPP

Winter Storms

2008-01-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Mom,

Well, I'm finally back in the blogosphere after a long absence! First there was getting caught up with myself after getting back from Zanzibar, then I had to deal with getting a new computer (my old one just couldn't keep up with me anymore!) and finally I got a new camera for Christmas that I had to spend some time playing with and getting used to. I've been busy too though during all this time so hopefully I'll have plenty to blog about from here on in!

There are many photos of Zanzibar to come, and I've been doing a lot of knitting too. But I thought I'd get back into things with the big news here right now, the winter storms that ripped through Northern California last weekend. (We even had to close the showroom at work when we lost power on Friday, after mopping up from all the water that poured in through the windows and through the ceiling - thanks to the former tenant in the empty unit above ours, who left the windows open when they cleared out of the space!)

When the rain took a break and everything settled down, it was amazing to see how much damage and debris there was everywhere. So of course I had to take my new camera out to try and capture what I could.

Nathan and Rushka walking up Park Hill, and along Buena Vista Park

Trees and branches knocked down in Buena Vista Park

What was a streetsign - and the tree next to our parking space at home
(luckily I was still at work when this one blew down!)

The streets of San Francisco after the storm

(Okay, so there are other images out there that are much more dramatic, but I forgot my camera on the day of the high winds - so I missed the exciting scenes, like the tree that went through the roof of a subaru parked outside of my work... but I still thought these shots were pretty cool!)

Since we were flooded in the first big storm last winter, I was worried about how our apartment would fare this year. Happily we were fortunate to stay dry this time around (those sandbags on the deck might not be pretty, but at least they're useful). Which meant we had the chance to relax and be cozy in from the rain during the spates of bad weather outside. Overall, Nathan and I have been doing well this holiday season, first with a great Christmas with all of his family in Texas, and then with our indulgent second Christmas at home in San Francisco.

Our haul from Christmas in Paris - and goodies from Canada too!

(The lady was happy she wasn't forgotten!)

Nathan's family enjoyed being together for Christmas so much that they decided to spend New Year's together as well, so Rachael, Matt, Jessica & Patrick all came up to San Francisco for the holiday weekend. The first time they had all spent New Year's together since they were small! It was so great to have them here and to have a chance to spend the time together. We had a delicious meal at a wonderful Italian restaurant, then rung in the New Year at on of the city's best dive bars with a sampling of the unique characters that San Francisco has to offer. It was a great way to ring in 2008! (Next year, I'd like to see if Nathan and I can go out with Clay in New York, if his plans to move play out as planned....)

While everyone was here, we went to SFMoMA and saw one work by a photographer who took pictures every year of his wife and her sisters in order by age. So of course we had to take a picture of the Smith siblings for posterity too, in order by age:

Now the trick is to get a photo of them all together every year from here on out!

More posts with photos of Zanzibar and of course my knitting projects are upcoming. But I thought you would want to know that I am still out here, and that we made it through the holidays in style and the storms in one piece!

Love to you both,

Megan

The Tree is Now Decorated!

2007-12-22T08:59:00.001-08:00

Hi Megs (and Nathan and Rushka),

The tree is now decorated and the stockings are hung!

Merry Christmas!

Mom (and Dad)

XXXXOOOOOPPPPP

Hands on Crafts

2007-12-17T18:14:00.000-08:00

Hi Megs,

Have been busy, busy but have managed to finish some things and also get ready for Christmas. We did get our tree up, have the lights on but that is as far as we have gotten.

We had a crazy time getting it in and up. It is very big, very fat and very heavy! We had to tie a rope on it an hoist it up!

I have been busy getting stuff done to put in Hands on Crafts. I have sold a lot - my knitting goes out the door faster than I can get it made - which really feels good. We have also more wool in and other supplied for rug hooking. The whole shop has been doing very well. I think people are finally sick of the stuff at Walmart et al. I have also sold bolts of wool, notions, hoops. It is nice.

First I finished this funny little purple silk blend scarf with "silly bits" for fringe- came out really well. It sold the day I brought it in - I didn't even have time to get a picture. I sort of made up the pattern. I had seen the funny things hanging off a scarf (bind offs) so I played around ... Cast on 3, knit across, cast on 17 (I used the "between the stitches method to make it more twisty), cast off 12, knit across, cast on 17 at the other end, cast off 12, knit across, etc. etc. This increases by 5 each time so it goes up in a triangular scarf with little twisty fringes. I think you can use any combination of cast on and offs depending on how long the fringe and how deep you want the triangle scarf to be. I just messed around with it. Sorry I don't have a picture. I am making another one out of a silk yarn.

Then I also finished the gray scarf with the maroon beads. It came out really well but again, I sold it before I even got a tag on it so all I have is a picture of it partially finished. It draped nicely and the beads gave it a nice shape.
I finished the smaller entrelac. Not as wide and not as long. It is really a scarf - not a shawl. I braided the fringe like the other one. It is now "for sale" but it is also expensive because of the time it took and the yarn. Don't know if it will sell as fast but really do think it is nice and was a lot of work! The yarn is the Spirit Freedom wool - so soft - same as the other but in reds, pinks and oranges. Really makes a nice blend.

Then surprise - I finished the Four Panel Jacket that I have been working on forever. It is from a Jamison's book, designed by Carol Lapin. I made it from Jamison's Shetland Wool - chunky in colour Arctic. It is so nice. I put a circle and pin clasp from Fleece Artist on it to close it. Again, this one has a high price so don't know if it will sell. The wool is really high quality I bought directly from Jamison's. It is nice to have it finished. I had to do an i-cord all around the whole piece and sleeves which was really tedious. It looks really nice on - like a swing coat. It fits and looks good on everyone. The hat was made by Doris.

Then - I made this crazy scarf out of the pom pom yarn I bought at Americo in Toronto. It is 100% Marino wool with pom poms sewn in so when you knit it the "balls" just appear at random. I made up a pattern (just a rib with a ruffle ends) on 12.5 needles. It went really fast and the scarf came out very funky. I like it.

The only rug hooking I have done is a Christmas coaster for our Christmas party. We exchange coasters. I got a lovely one and was happy when Shirley Bradshaw (my teacher and friend) got mind. We do this sort of random selection of the gifts so don't know who is going to get what. The first (the holly) is the one I made, the second is the one I picked - made by Odette Rohland. She did a beautiful job on shading the poinsettia.

Now we are settling in for Christmas. You should be receiving some surprises from us. We will miss you but know you will enjoy Paris (Texas) and seeing Nathan's family. Clay is coming on Sunday. We have had awful storms here - but not a lot of snow - just crazy wind, rain, sleet and freezing rain. It has also been very cold - for us.

Here is a picture of your bells from Nana. We put them out tonight - trying to get some decorating done. When we look at them we think of you.

Stay warm,

Love you all,

Mom

It is now November!

2007-11-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

Hi Megs

Can't believe it is November already - in fact, November the 16th - half way through. Dad said you called and had a WONDERFUL time in Zanzibar - like who wouldn't. So happy you were able to go - to get away and have a real honeymoon. Makes me so happy. We got your postcard. Beautiful.

I see you are progressing on your Hanami. I am also - but not past the apple blossoms. I thought maybe I would catch up when you were away - but really didn't. I can't believe how busy, busy I am. But - one thing accomplished, Clay now has his US passport. I went to Toronto to visit and we got through the US stuff, visited - I visited yarn shops in Toronto - and then went on to Ottawa for a board meeting of the Forum for Young Canadians (I am the NS Director). Also visited yarn shops in Ottawa. Had a great time.

I do like your socks. I just can't get into socks. Something about making two on anything. I don't have a long attention span.

Now - what have I been knitting and hooking..... Well - crazy stuff. I am working on the restoration of the mat. We had a week long class last week with Germaine James - a really terrific rug hooking teacher from Ontario. She stayed with us so I got the benefit of her knowledge and experience. I am going to do a whole blog posting on this - but for this one, want to catch up.

Mostly I have been doing little stuff for the shop. I finished the mug rugs and made another little hat and mitts set. I also am working on some Christmas tree ornaments - rug hooked - but don't have a picture of them yet.

As to my visit to Toronto - well - can't say I was impressed by the yarn shops - except for one I found by accident - Americo - Wow and wow! What beautiful yarns. They were from South America - many countries and almost all in natural colours. Everything from wools, alpaca, lama, cottons, and angora. I was totally, totally NOT impressed with Romni Wools on Queen Street. The only good thing about visiting there was that they were tearing up the Queen Street line so I had to walk to Spedina and that is how I found Americo. If you go to Romni's website and click "home" you will see what I mean. I total, total mess! Add to this a staff that ranged from "don't care" to outright hostile The only thing good was they have a really large section on books - but not enough for me to ever go back there - ever. They are playing on their reputation. A lot of better places in Toronto. One for SURE is Lettuce Knits in Kensington Market. A tiny place but just terrific. Found it the first day when Clay and I walked down to the Market. He lives very close - a really great location - his apartment is at Collage and Euclid. They had great yarns and really nice people. This was also true of The Knit Cafe (although just getting started and way, way down Queen Street - at least when the trolley isn't running) and KnitoMatic up at St. Clair and Bathurst. They are also small but nice woman there.

As to Ottawa - I went to Yarn Forward. They have expanded into quilting - at their Bank Street Store - which makes it not so friendly. I visited both stores and at both, don't find them all that helpful or willing. I did like The Real Wool Shop in Carleton Place - although Carleton Place has grown all around it with all the usual box stores. It is part of the Ontario wool cooperative. The other one I finally found - after much looking, in an industrial park was Wool-tyme. They had just about everything and very nice. I even ran into an old friend who now works there so that was nice. I did find the prices a little higher than other places I visited but lots of selection and books.

I came with some books and "one-of" balls of yarn. I wanted some samples for Hands on Crafts so we could decide what we wanted to order.

I also went to the RHGNS annual meeting in Debert. It was fun and got to see lots of people. I agreed to be the editor of "The Loop" (RHGNS magazine/newsletter) for another two years. So spent my last two weeks finishing

The Loop to get it off on Monday. This is a really big job and it does cut into my knitting and hooking time.

October and November have just flown by! I thought of you two often on your grand trip to Zanzibar. After October and November - and we had a "tropical storm" blow through, I just want to stay home and relax a little.

I will post again about the mat but wanted to get this one off. I will also send pictures of my Hanami - I am making progress!

Love you both,

Mom

October update

2007-10-21T18:10:00.001-07:00

Hi Mom,

Well, it seems that October has been a busy month for both of us! I'm glad to see that the Craft Splash went so well - I know you've worked hard on it. The sign for Tin Pot Textiles looks great, and your hooked creations are beautiful (you know those mug rugs will make great Christmas presents too, right?) And those knitted dolls are so cute! Great-grandmother's dresser looks beautiful as well - you've found the perfect spot for it too. Seems like you have a number of successful projects under your belt so far this fall! Let me know how your hooking restoration project comes along. Atter working at the Conservation Center in Chicago, you know I'm curious to see how this goes!

As for work here in San Francisco, I am really enjoying my new job, even if there is sooooo much that I have to learn - one day I feel like I at least have a handle on everything I need to process, the next I feel overwhlemed again by all there is to know. Hopefully in time it will all start to sink in!

So far I have managed to still get some good knitting time in, even though I am again a 9-5 (or 9-6) girl, mostly because Nathan was out of town for two weeks so I had plenty of opportunity to just relax with the needles. I've managed to keep up with the Hanami knit-along and am now speeding through the final stages- I'm now in the loooong ruffle rows but the end is in sight!

Doesn't she look good so far?

More details on the Hanami site...

I've also managed to finish my Hedera socks, although I haven't had a chance to wear them (even though we are getting our fair share of cold rainy weather). They really aren't as green as they seem in the photo - really they're a bright happy yellow - the perfect thing to perk up the next grey cloudy day!

Really, though, I'm hoping for clear skies and warm weather after the next week, since Nathan and I won't be in San Francisco - we're going to Zanzibar! Finally, only 1 year + 1 1/2 months or so later, we are actually going on what was meant to be our honeymoon trip before moving to San Francisco and Nathan settling into his new job got in the way. I can hardly believe it's real! We leave on Friday (in just over four days!) and will be there for 8 nights (plus 5 days traveling there and back -getting to Africa isn't easy). After leaving Friday and 2 (2!) red-eye flights to get to Dar Es Salaam, we'll take the ferry over to Zanzibar on Sunday to properly begin our holiday.We are going to stay the first night in Stone Town at the historic 236 Harumzi, then 5 nights at the Mbweni Ruins hotel, finishing with two nights secluded on the beach at Matemwe. Then the ferry back, a night in Dar, and back home again. You can see I've already set aside the essentials for the trip:

Magazines, books, travel games, sunscreen, bug spray, eye mask and, of course, yarn!

I couldn't celebrate the upcoming trip without a knitting project in it's honor - what could be better than the Honeymoon Cami from Knitty? I've wanted to make this ever since the pattern was first published in 2004 - I even bought the yarn (Louet Linen) in Sedona on our first trip to check out Amara - but I refused to let myself cast on until I actually knew I was going to get to go on a honeymoon of my own. Once our plans were actually set the needles were flying to get it done on time:

By this afternoon I'm all the way through the body and have finished the right front & back sections. With the left front & back to go, plus the final finishing to get the strap length right, the end is in sight - just in time! I've tweaked the pattern here or there, adding lots of length (both for the extra vertical coverage and to factor for the linen shrinking) and changing the original narrow 3-stitch i-cord straps into flat bands. So far I'm really happy with how it's working up (and how quickly) - hopefully I'll have some great vacation shots of me wearing it to share when we're back! (Oh, and some fashion shots of the Hanami too, 'cause if I can get her finished on time she's joining us on holiday as well!)

Poor Rushka will have to spend the holidays at the vet, a place she hasn't seen much of lately as her sugars are finally stable (yay!) While she's there they are going to run a fructosamine (sp?) test that will show how she is doing over the long term (it's supposed to give an overview of the past month's sugar levels). If she's all clear, the surgery to get the mole off her toe is next - I'm not sure how happy I am about that. Or how happy she'll be once it comes time to go through it!

Waiting for us all when we come home will be the true autumn of San Francisco, which means rain and cozy nights and pumpkins galore. Hopefully we'll be well fortified from our days in the sun....

Until then, I hope you and Dad have a good few weeks (and that the recovery goes quickly from his surgery - its sounds like he is still in a lot of pain. Ouch!). I should have lots of great pictures to share when I'm back....

Megan

Beautiful October

2007-10-14T05:54:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

Like you, I can't believe it has been a month since I last posted - more than a month, actually. You have so much done! I love the little vest - and cashmere at that! A great use for the yarn. Your Eveleen is really nice. I like the colours and it must look great on you. I have come to the conclusion that I just don't like to make sock. At our last Knitting Guild almost all at the table (8 of us) were knitting socks but me. Maybe it is the little needles in my hands or something. Your Hedera socks - well - you go girl, but don't think this is for me. Not only socks but a lace pattern. They look beautiful.

Your little baby set for Sarah & Sean's baby - really beautiful. I haven't made much progress on my gift to them - may change to another pattern. Not inspiring me. I also made a bib like the one you made from Mason & Dixon knitting. It turned out well. I gave it to Rose for her new granddaughter. Don't have a picture of it.

Loved your pictures of Big Sur. Good for you both - getting away and enjoying your 1 year anniversery. We had our 45th - YIKES! Can't believe we have been married that long. We went to dinner at Charlotte Lane Cafe in Shelburne. Not as far and lovely as Big Sur but the food is the BEST in Nova Scotia. We also went to a Nova Scotia Wine event at Chez Bruno in Yarmouth during the weekend. Bruno's is SECOND in great dining here.

What have I been up to in the last month - A LOT! September and October have been beautiful here. Sunny and warm. Out BEST time of year!

I went down to Cornwallis to the RHGNS Fall Rug School. It was week of hooking, talking and generally having a grand time. I took "Large Shaded Flowers" with Wanetta Evans from Halifax. I worked on a water lily from our pond. Pam MacIsaac Adams drew a pattern on linen based on my picture

Our Class

We got into "the pots" dying using the dip-dyed method. You work large flowers with dip dyed wool - using differed parts of it to get the shading.

This is my "work in progress".

I also had three of my works in the exhibit. My little cottage, my frog purse (it turned out really nicely) and the Place Family Mat - if finished it just in time.

Little Cottage

Frog Purse

Place Family Mat
This is your grandmother's Christmas present

I have also been working on a mat I am restoring for a woman in Yarmouth County. This is the end part of a runner her cousin - who is now dead and they bought her home and found this part of her work. She wants it to be completed. I found wool to match the background and some old Pendelton shirts to do the leaves. I am going to back the whole thing with linen because the old backing is deteriorating. It is going to be an interesting project but it is also going to be a challenge. This is my winter's project.

And speaking of restoration. David MacIsaac finished restoring grandmother 's (Browder-Horne) old marble top dresser. We brought it back from our visit for Anne's wedding. It always was part of our living room when I was growing up. It is made of walnut with a natural marble top. It is very important to me to have it here. It was probably made in the 1880's or so. It really looks nice in the front room next to our and Globe & Wernicke book cases that were Dad's grandmother and grandfather Pearls.

I have been knitting dumb stuff! Hacking around while my big stuff (the shawls including the Hanami stay in the bag on the needles). I found funny people in "The Natural Knitter" that reminded me of the ones I used to make with "spool knitting". Theirs are done with double knitting so I tried a couple using a combination of theirs and mine and they came out really funny. I like them. They are made with left overs from knitting and don't take very long. Don't know what I am going to do with them. I also got some wool and the childs Alligator Scarf from Morehouse Farms. It knitted up really nice - we used it in the window of Hand's on Crafts for the Fall.

What I have been busy with is our Yarmouth Craft Splash - the week of September 30 to October 6. We had over 65 different events of crafting in Yarmouth and Yarmouth County. This year we included in Acadian Shores - Pubnico, Tusket and Wedgeport. We hope to expand it to the Clare area next year. It was busy - I chaired it but lots of help from others.

Opening Ceremonies at Town Hall - Town Crier "Cried" us in.

Knit-in in Frost Park

John Hood showing tourists how he builds model ships. John and his wife, Nancy also sell the BEST wild flower honey at the market. Amazing stuff!

Barb Jess demonstrating how to dye yarn - we used Briggs and Little sock weight yarn.

Barb and Doris with "work in progress"

Some of the finished yarn. The middle one is "watermelon".

On Saturday we had an open studio tour of crafters in our brochure. I got a new sign for Tin Pot Textiles. I had a few visitors. One was a neighbor who is a knitter and a rug hooker - great to meet her.

Just after the Craft Splash we had our Thanksgiving. We got a great free range turkey from Thousand Hills Farms. Yarmouth now has a farmer's market on Saturday. We have found really nice local vegetables and breads there (and the Hood's wild flower honey). It is now part of our Saturdays. We go to the market at 8, get what we need and two pieces of apple, cherry, rhubarb or prune tart made by a really nice German woman, get tea and coffee at Tim's (good old Tim Hortons), go home and enjoy.

Francis and Michael had a new granddaughter so I made a quick hat and mitts from Mission Falls Wee Nits using Mission Falls 1824. It came our really nice. The hat is their design, the mitts are my design using their motif. The colour is actually more of a coral that the pictures shows. We had dinner with Francis and Michael last night - also with the Butts - a couple from Columbia Missouri who have a summer home here. We went to their family cottage on Cape Forshu and before dinner took a long walk around False Harbour with grand views of the Yarmouth Light - Cape Forshu. No pictures - I forgot my camera. It was just wonderful and the late afternoon was warm and sunny.

Hat and mitts

I also made 8 little "mug rugs" - my designs based on Jacobean flowers and bits and pieces of wool left over from other mats. I have finished these are will sell them at Hand's on Crafts. I have already sold one.

Looking at all this - I guess I have gotten some things done. Amazing when you look back at what you have done in a month.

And - we also put a new roof of the house last week. The old one was beginning to cause leaks when it rained hard and blew a Nor'easter - and almost 25 years old. In this climate - that is OLD. We put on a dark brown steel roof - should last forever - looks really nice and suits the house I think. But it got so loud I had to get out! I took the kayak out one afternoon and took a picture from the lake. At least I was out of the noise. pounding and banging - drove me crazy! They also took down the old chimney. We don't need it with the heat pump.

workers on the roof

Escaping the noise in the kayak

House from the lake.

So - that is my month. Busy. The next month is also busy. Your Dad's surgery (minor), going to Toronto to visit Clay and do the work for his US pass port and hope to meet his new girl friend, board meeting with the Forum for Young Canadians in Ottawa - and visit with my old friends.

Hope your new job is going well and not cutting too much into your knitting time. Give a hug to Nathan, a pat to Rushka. We miss you much - but know you are well and happy and busy, busy.

Love, Mom
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

From here to there

2007-09-27T13:11:00.001-07:00

Hi Mom,

You know it's been a long time between posts when even Nathan is asking me when I'm going to blog again! It was only when I started going through all the photos I've taken over the last month that I realized how long it's been. For example, since my last post I've managed to go from the very start of my children's vest for afghans 4 Afghans to it's completion, along with a matching hat!

The vest after the initial cast-on, and again as I was nearing the end of the turtle neck.

Notes:
Pattern: mostly of my own design, modified from the Debbie Bliss pattern Stocking Stitch Sweater in her Easy Knits. As the original was a sweater, I had to change it to a vest, using online patterns as a guide. I also wasn't sure if I would have enough yarn for the pockets, so I added these on after-the-fact instead of working them into the body as with the original. The hat is just my basic hat design. I made the twirls on top by casting on between 12 and 16 stitches, then casting off the next row (I don't know where I read about this, but it worked!)
Yarn: Sam's Hand Knits 100% recycled cashmere (thanks mom!). I was worried I wouldn't have enough for a full sweater with only 6 1.75oz skeins, which is why I made a vest instead of a sweater. In the end I had enough for an extra-long turtleneck, pockets and a hat to match. (Although I used up every last yard in the process!)

I also managed to (finally) complete my lovely Eveleen, which had been my longest running project up to then. It's already been out on more than one occasion - it's perfect for the not-quite-warm, not-quite-cold San Francisco evenings. And it's comfortable too! (I was worried about the wool-for-a-short-sleeved-sweater oddity of it all, but it works).

(Photographic proof at left that I really did baste the pieces together this time before sewing them up - and it fits great!)

Notes:
Pattern: Eveleen from the fall/winter 06 Rowan, unmodified except for the addition of one extra shell repeat in the body for extra length.
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette, as a more affordable substitute for the original Rowan yarns. The yarn was really nice to work with (I would definitely use it again) but what I gained in my back account I lost in sophistication of colors, as these are definitely, um, brighter than the originals. The ribbon is a vintage greenish brown one from The Ribbonerie here in San Francisco. It's not perfect, but it will do until I track down the perfect shade of chocolate velvet.

And finally, not only did I finish Nathan's socks, after redoing the heel 5 times and adding more and more length, (too bad he is photo-shy) I have managed to make some progress with my own Hedera socks, moving from the two ankles to the completion of the sock #1:

The heel is finished on sock #2, so I am ready for the turn on that one. Because the yarn is smooshy, I'm knitting the sole & toe of these socks on 1's while keeping the pattern on 2's to give it a bit more durability. The biggest problem I've had so far is in the toe cap, which I reworked over & over again on sock #1. It is always either too small or too long, or maybe it just doesn't want to look right against the patterning no matter what I do! I've decided to just be satisfied with what I have, consoled by the fact that area will be inside the shoe anyways and promising myself not to look too closely when I wear them.

Hoping it would fit with the pattern, I worked the heel again in the alternating slip stitch that I used for Nathan's socks. Now that it's done, I'm not sure it was the best aesthetically, but it is comfortable. You asked how I did this so here is my technique (worked over an even number of stitches):

Row 1: *sl1, p1* (repeat from * to *)
Row 2: sl1, knit to end
Row 3: *p1, sl1* (repeat from * to *)
Row 2: knit to end

So, basically, it is the same as a standard heel, only I alternate which stitches are slipped on every odd row to create a type of dimpled effect. It makes it a little bit harder to count the rows; I have to remember that every 3 rows actually equals 4 rows knit (so if I count 9, I've actually worked 12). I've also found that because it doesn't pull in as much as the traditional heel I need fewer rows than the pattern may state, so I need to accommodate the gusset accordingly. But in the right situation it can look great and the padding inside feels really nice too.

I've been knitting on Hanami as well, but you'll have to check out the hanami-along to read my post on my progress there!

As a last show-and-tell, here are pics of the baby items I've worked on this summer that I didn't want to post before in case the giftees saw them too early.

Sarah M's baby set for Evan:
Blanket, booties and hat in Dale Baby Ull, from Dale pattern 16411.
(Too much tight knitting on size 1's, even if the end result was really sweet. I'm not sure I'd repeat this experiment)

Dana K's baby goodies for Daniel and Etienne (b. August 27, 2007)
Washcloths and Bibs (the latter from Mason & Dixon Knitting) in Blue Sky organic cotton, variegated white & beige and white & green shades, with an added shell crochet border to the bibs.
Cute, fast & practical. I loved making these!

That's all my knitting for now - I've definitely been busy!

I'll leave you with photos from our first anniversary getaway to Big Sur, about 3 hours south of San Francisco along Highway 1. (If these photos aren't enough, there are more here).

We had a great weekend hiking in Julia Pfeiffer state park among the redwoods,

up to the Valley View lookout among the live oak trees,

and down to Partington Cove to explore the tide pools.

Seaweed and mussel patterns (above); starfish and sea creatures (below)

Saturday evening we went to a concert at the Henry Miller Library under the stars, which was a great cozy affair (if slightly chilly). The next morning we walked along Pfeiffer state beach to relax in the sand before meandering our way home.

Husband of one year walking along the beach.

In all it was a great getaway - and so close! Hopefully we can continue to leave the city more often as we explore our new bay area home and settle into year #2 (no more newlyweds, we're just plain old married folk now!)

Love to you & Dad, and happy birthday too!

Megan

Officially "In Business"

2007-09-08T04:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

Yes - even though we are far away, somehow I feel connected to you - we are so different yet so alike! I find that whenever I get the urge to call my mother, I call and find out something "interesting" has happened to her. Or maybe just lots of interesting things happen to her even at 91!

Please tell how you do the heel of those "boyfriend (aka husband) socks". And yes, we live in parallel universes. That is exactly what Emmi does to the back of her socks (this technique has gone from one coast to the other). Emmi is German and said her mother taught her how do do it. Emmi explained it and I tried it but must be doing something wrong - it came up wonky. I do like Victorian Lace Today - even better than Meg Swansen's, A Gathering of Lace. The gray shawl I am making with the red beads is based on the pattern for Miss Watts (different size needles, different yarn, different beads, longer picots, different placement of picots & beads).

Now - speaking of shoes and "Great minds think alike" - you know how much I love shoes! When out shopping sometimes I just can't find any cloths that look good on my chubby body - but shoes always fit. I bought a pair of Cole-Haan shoes on sale in Edmonton - black almost like the ones you have - loved them - wore them to dust and then searched e-bay for a pair and found the exact pair - my size -YEA! Shoes are personal.

Absolutely love the things you have made. The MS3 - well hard to believe how beautiful it drapes. So I take it all back - the designer knew what she was doing! The wings make the shawl. And your sweater and you are much prettier than the picture in the Rowan magazine. Can't believe your crocheted it! My crochet has only been granny squares - not interesting!

You have been much more productive than I have getting things off the needles. The Eveleen looks really good in the picture - as your grandmother would say of any flaw, "You won't see it on a flying horse".

I did finish hooking the Place/Jones Mat and am now finishing the edges. It is really big so it takes a long time. I really like how it turned out. It is for mother for Christmas (missed her birthday - didn't get it finished). It will be nice when I have it all done.

I am now officially "in business" with At the Sign of the Whale and Hands on Crafts. Pam and I have a little section on rug hooking set up and have had our first day of selling. I only have to be there 1 1/2 days every 3 weeks so not hard duty. Interesting to talk to people. We have a lot of people in the store - tourists and locals. If there is a shortage of tourists in Yarmouth you don't see it at Hands on Crafts. I don't think I have sold anything yet but it is interesting to meet all the people. Pam sold some kits and I helped a couple of women - showing them how to hook. (That is Doris Cook at the cash - she does wonderful knitting, spinning and quilting of garments - she does everything! You can see some of my items on display.)

I took Mason & Dixon Knitting when I was at Hands on Crafts and they loved it. This is a book you have to keep reading and looking at or you will miss something. I made one of the little bibs our of denim yarn and it came out really nice. Usable because you can throw it in the washing machine and dryer. With making your little squares you have fallen in the trap of the "hit and miss" mat. The "hit and miss" is supposed to be made with cut wool left over from other mats - but once you get started you are missing a colour or run out and you wind up dyeing or buying more yarn for the thing and then you have left overs - it is endless.... You never use up all your pits and pieces - they multiply.

Hockey - Yarmouth Mariners Junior A team - has started with a pre-season Lobster Pot tournament. So have spent the last two nights at the Mariners Centre. Your father is now writing the program notes for each game series as well as doing some statistics for the team. We both just can't seem to just do nothing.

I went our on the zodiac with the Kayak gals - we went to see the puffins but they were gone. We got a nice view of the Cat as we were going out (it had just come in from Bar Harbor) and had a grand time.
Went to a hook-in at Iris Richards' cottage on Bird Lake. (Iris is at the top right - red dress and wonderful white hair). It was for the Carpetbaggers and Rugg Bees. It was nice - we are having beautiful weather. I am off to the Rug Hooking Guild's Rug School in Corwallis in mid September and I am chairing our annual Yarmouth Craft Splash Festival September 30 to October 6 - up to our Thanksgiving weekend. During the week I am going to teach a knitting course, a demonstration of knitting at the tourist bureau and the Carpetbaggers are hooking at the Yarmouth Museum. We are also going to have a knit-in at the Town Hall. Got the September issue of the Guild finished and hope to have it sorted and in the mail on Monday. I also went up Digby last Saturday to the Wharf Rat Rally (motorcyles) to sell tickets for the Rotary Club's Winner's Choice Lottery - one of the prizes is a Harley "Fat Boy"???? We sold lots of tickets! Abour 4,000 bikers there. I do love retirement - really do because I have the time to do things I like to do - and crazy thaings! Not that I didn't like what I was doing in education - but also did all this other stuff on the side - now I get to do it during the day!

Take care - I am sure Matt is now settled at Berkley and you have nicer weather for you all to enjoy. It must be beautiful this time of year. This is our warmest month (during the day but nights are cool). We have had some wonderful moon light - so bright you can see colour! I do like the fall, particularly like it because I don't have to start another school year.

And - talk about crazy. Here are two pictures. While we have deer in our yard, here is a deer who was found swimming in the ocean of Yarmouth, 1 1/2 miles off shore. And a picture of a 260+ lb. halibut caught aboard "Pa's Devils" this week. Living in Yarmouth is interesting!

Love ya,

Mom

Great Minds Thing Alike .... plus some finished object show & tell

2007-08-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Mom,

Reading back through your earlier posts, I was struck by how in sync we sometimes are despite the geographic distances! Not only am I also flipping through my very own new copy of Victorian Lace Today (which I ordered, finally, from KnitPicks along with my very own new set of blocking wires, both in honor of the close of MS3), but I also just completed a sock heel just like the one you describe on a pair I'm working on for Nathan. I believe it's called Eye of the Partridge, but that could be wrong. I just like the way it looks.

Narrow heel on Nathan's new socks, plus a view of the cable pattern just because I knew you'd want to see:

The socks are the Boyfriend Sock (now the Husband Sock) pattern, knit up in some rich chocolate brown Koigu KPPM that I picked up at Imagiknits when I was there with Susan, Ellen & Meredith to celebrate the sale of our former Chicago home. I can't get these done fast enough for Nathan - he's so looking forward to his brand new homemade socks that I'm asked when they will be done several times a week!

By the way, don't forget to check out the errata page for Victorian Lace Today - apparently it's quite extensive.

As for thinking along a single train of though, how about this?

Kenneth Cole Reaction 'Magic Shuffle', L to R: brown '06, black '07, brown '07

Yes, that is the exact same pair of shoes, 3x over. At left are the originals, which I picked up last year and loved to death. Out shoe shopping last week, I was looking for another pair that were just as comfortable, only in black. Imagine how happy I was to see that the same shoe had come back for fall '07, this time with a small heel to perk things up a bit. After snatching up a pair in black, contemplating the sorry state of my old brown pair, then realizing there was only a single pair my size left in brown, I couldn't resist adding those to my bag too. So now I am the proud owner of 3 essentially identical pairs of shoes. Maybe I need to get out more.

Aside from shoe shopping I have also been busy getting things off the needles (and hook) as a round of summer knitting seems to be coming to a close. The big news was the end of MS3 and the blocking of my new blue Swan Lake Shawl (note the new fancy blocking wires! So nice to have, even if they are a bit clumsy to use).

Pattern: MS3 knit-a-long, aka Swan Lake from pinklemontwist
Yarn: Jaegger Zephyr in blueberry, knit on US3 addi lace needles

I really enjoyed participating in the knit-a-long and the whole mystery aspect. I don't think I would have picked this pattern out as one to knit on my own but I'm really happy with the result and to have this as an addition to my wardrobe. I was worried that it wouldn't be long enough, particularly in blocking when I realized it was only going to be about 17" wide x 72" long. Once on, though, it drapes really well and is even pretty warm for such a light knit. (I used just over 2oz of wool in the end).

Please ignore the strange expression, this was an early weekend morning photo shoot!

While I was showing off my new shawl, I also had to grab my new sweater which I finished up earlier this month, my crocheted Joy from the summer Rowan.

Pattern: Joy, Rowan Summer '07
Yarn: Rowan 4ply Cotton in Provence (just as photographed for the magazine),
worked with a US D 3.00 mm crochet hook.
As I could only get enough yarn by combining two different dyelots, the primary yarn is used for the main body and the second color for the sleeves & collar. Can you tell the difference?

This pattern reminded me, once again, how important it is to BASTE the pieces of a pattern together before I go ahead and sew in the many many ends, burying them so deeply that they can never be recovered. I was actually so worried that the body pieces were too small, that I ended up working in extra panels on the back section for width. In the end, of course, the back ended up too wide, pushing the sleeves down towards my elbows and bagging out all over the place. And of course I figured this out only once the whole sweater was sewn together, and I COULD NOT get the ends out to re-set the sleeves and try to address this mess. So in the end I had to CUT THEM OUT, reposition them, then secure them in by re-burying all the individual side pieces of yarn that I had cut. (They are still a little lumpy, but much more liveable.) What can I say, not the best of summer afternoons overall!

Even my long-patient, often set-aside Eveleen is off the needles, blocked and waiting to be assembled (after I finally finished sewing in all 200+ ends from the intarsia panel - there will be no close-up shots of this as it is far from my best work! It seems intarsia & I still have not reached a positive understanding between us...)

Of course, so many projects off the needles mean a new host of projects to cast on. Not only I am working socks for Nathan but I also have a pair for myself in the works, a child's sweater for the next (and possibly last, at least for this year) campaign for afghans for Afghans, and of course Hanami (whose knit-a-long starts on Friday - hopefully I'll be ready for it.) I've even found a use for all those balls of palette that I bought for Eveleen's intarsia panel, which required only a few yards of each leaving me with almost-complete balls: I've been inspired by the Mason & Dixon mitered square obsession to use the extra yarn to make square after square after square. I even bought more yarn (of course!) so that I could have a wider variety of colors to play with. What they will be, I still don't know, but they're fun to make for now.

What with that whole list, plus of host of things on my knitting wish list, I can't imagine having the time to knit to sell too. How good it must feel to have your work up in the shops! And congratulations on your first sale! Hopefully there will be many more to follow. I think you'll do okay with your new 'job' too - sounds like more fun than work overall!

I'm glad to hear that you had such a great adventure on your kayak trip and are now enjoying the late summer weather. Our warm days seem to be coming now - the sun is actually out today. So far, though, the most active I have been is playing mini-golf with Matt & Nathan on a Saturday afternoon and even that was followed up with a trip to a local wine bar. Hopefully with the fall and some warmer days (finally!) we'll be out there adventuring too.

Here's to enjoying the last days of August,

Megan

Beautiful Summer

2007-08-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

I laughed out loud - and so did your father - when I read about the wrong Rushka. When I looked at the picture before I scrolled down (and you told the story very well!) it looked like Rushka had gained weight but then.... It was good that you could both laugh about it and not cry. It reminded me of the time when I was around 8 that my mother was stressed working on some sewing project and needed more pins. She drove me down town and I was to run into the TG&Y to buy the pins and she would drive around the block and pick me up. I did go in and buy the pins and back outside - no mother! I waited and waited - no mother. She got distracted somewhere going around the block and drove home - forgetting me completely! She only remember, she confessed later, when she got back and thought about needing the pins again. You come by distraction naturally.

Our kayak trip was amazing! What a Wonderful group of women! Most had never been in a kayak before but we all paddled our hearts out. We went from Weymouth Mills, base for Hinterland, down the Sisiboo River into the ocean at St. Mary's Bay. We kayaked around the Bay, sleeping out in tents for 4 nights and in 5 days made it to Sandy Cove on Digby Neck. We kayaked over 60 km in the ocean with winds, white caps, against and with the tides. It was just amazing. The nicest thing was both being with this group of women and being by myself in my own little kayak in the ocean. A real experience and one, at 64 11/12th, I am very proud of doing. (I am front, second from the left in our group picture - blue jacket, dumb green hat).

As to kitting and hooking - I have also been busy. I have to think about that Mystery Shawl 3 - don't think I really like the wing. I am not getting it but maybe I just am too traditional and like things a little more symmetrical. I do like the patten up until it goes off into a wing. I also really like the colour. I think I will also try the Hanami. Why not - what is another project along with all the things I am working on now!

I have been working on the Place Rug and other small knitting projects. I did finish a little small "coaster" mat. I had this for a long time kicking around so I finished it. I have also now officially "in business" with Tin Pot Textiles. I have moved on two fronts. First, my knitting and hooking are now being marketed by At The Sign of the Whale Gallery. I took my Lady Eleanor, the Maidenhair shawl, some hooking pieces, including "Three Old Fisherman Watch the Boats Come In" over to Francis and Michael's. And - even before they put them out I sold the "One Black Sheep" pillow! I have now officially made money on this venture.

I am also bought into the Hands on Crafts Cooperative. I will have smaller pieces there, the little purses, some shawls and some hooking things, and also am selling some of my large collection of vintage knitting needles. I have to work there two days a week but have a partner who will do one day for me so I have only one day. It is an interesting place so don't think I will mind - although Stan says "working" doesn't fit my new life style. I agree - that is working with a schedule. You might want to join me and place some of your work at either location. I found that I had a lot of things that I made for the joy of it and would be pleased to sell.

We had a very nice 45th wedding anniversary dinner at Charlotte Lane Cafe in Shelburne. We had a nice drive down, beautiful evening, and a lovely dinner.

I am off this afternoon with the kayak women to go out and see the puffins and harbour seals on Green island on the Zodiac. It is a grand ride on a beautiful day - no paddling! I sat out on the deck this morning knitting (making a triangular scarf out of Noro Silk Garden, Colour 258) and watching the humming birds. Got this picture - you can see the hummingbird just to the right of the geranium (a gray blob). Yesterday I took this picture of a butterfly that, with sister (butterfly woman) Susan's help, we are trying to identify. It would make a beautiful mat.

Love ya,

Mom

Summer Fun

2007-08-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Mom,

It seems that you have been having a lot of fun this summer - hooking retreats, big successes at the county fair (congratulations! pretty soon people are going to start blacklisting you from entering and scooping all the prizes...), sharkfest and rafting too. Nothing like being retired and taking it easy, eh!

Here we have been not quite so adventurous, but even so the time has just flown. We've been down to Oceanside to visit with all the Smiths,then had the Smiths come here to visit with us. We've helped Matt get settled at Berkeley, where he's eager for his graduate studies to begin, and toured Rachael around San Francisco in the hopes she may be lured to the bay area too from Hong Kong at the end of her upcoming school year. We've even had lots of sun the past week (after a long string of foggy days) so things are really looking up!

Rushka had a great time on the drive down to southern California and meeting the extended Smith crew, even if it did wear her out. She spent so much time at first trying to keep track of all the cars on the highway and then everyone at the beach house that she hardly slept at all the first 36 hours - pretty grueling for a dog that normally sleeps 18 hours + a day! So I think she was happy in the end to come home and relax in the peace and quiet of San Francisco. Since dog's aren't allowed on the beach at all in San Diego county, we had to make up for her missed ocean time once we got home, so we took her to Ocean Beach to play in the waves here. Let's just say she ended up a big wet salty sandy mess after almost an hour of chasing the surf - I think she had fun even if she had to pay for it with a bath when she got home!

So our poor Rushka dog seems to be doing well, even if her health stats aren't all that great right now. I feel like part of the problem is that we are spending way too much time at the vet, which means way too many opportunities to find new things that are wrong with her. Case in point:

Yep, that's a big fat mole, found by accident right between her toes on her left front paw and which we now get to pay big $$ to have removed, you know, just in case it's cancer. Because we didn't have enough vet bills - or worries - with just the diabetes. I am almost beyond being worried about all of this since this is not a dog that acts sick, but still, I'm not so amused by all of this veterinary action.

And speaking of fun at the vet, do you notice anything wrong in these two pictures?

If you guessed that Rushka looks a bit different, you'd be right - because that isn't Rushka. That's right, when I went to pick her up just before leaving for Oceanside, THE VET GAVE ME THE WRONG DOG!!!

Say hello to Bailey! The rottweiller in boarding who got to take an hour + adventure with Nathan and I, driving all around the city of San Francisco and even getting to visit our home, before we pieced it all together, got ahold of the vet (through the after hours emergency vet service - by then the clinic was closed and the last staff member was on her way out to enjoy her Friday evening) to make the switch. Bailey was just so friendly and happy to be with me and ride in our car, while I was so distracted making sure we were ready to hit the road the next morning, that she was with me in the car for about 20 minutes before I started to clue in that something wasn't right. By the time I picked up Nathan I was going back and forth with myself as to whether I was crazy or whether the vet could have actually given me a dog that wasn't mine. Yet it still took us all the way until we got home and into our apartment before we could face the bizarre but true fact that this dog had NEVER been in our apartment before. Once we managed to get ahold of the vet's office and make sure we could actually get our dog back and quelch the panic of having Rushka be left alone while we had to take care of a strange dog for the evening, the absurdity of the situation hit and I was laughing so hard I was crying all the way back to the clinic to make the switch. Let's just say we're all glad to have Rushka back where she belongs, safe and sound:

what? there was another dog in the house? says who?

Although I'm still not sure that I can explain this:

On the knitting front, I have been plugging away on MS3 and am now on the Final Clue!! Although really I should now be calling it by it's proper name, revealed at Clue 5: Swan Lake (which explains the white or black & romantic but ending tragically - with my blue shawl, I'm just going to pretend I'm knitting the lake part of it all). The biggest news though was the fact that, in honor of the theme, this assymetrical stole is to end not with another point but with a wing.

Really. A short-row lace wing, knit on the bias onto the body of the stole. I was skeptical at first - there are options for a non-wing stole, and a two-wing stole is in the works, but a one-wing stole? what would that look like? - but I decided after all that since I was in for a penny anyways I might as well be in for a pound. Here is where I was a few weeks ago with the first 'wing' clue in progress (again with the mystery-ness of the chart preserved):

And where I am today, only 18 rows short of binding off the final row:

Looks pretty good - I'm so curious now to see what it's like once it's finally off the needles!

In honor of the whole project, I finally gave in and let myself order a set of blocking wires which are presently on their way from Knitpicks (with a copy of Victorian Lace Today, just to keep the whole them intact). Hopefully they will get here by Friday so that I can keep my pace of one week per clue and have it all done by the weekend. Then I'll get a short week off and it's on to Hanami - did you decide if you want to try that one as well? - not to mention all my other projects that need some attention....

Your Lady E, by the way, is beautiful - no wonder she won best in show. Now we just have to find the opportunity to get together again and show our two off in tandem! They'd be a hit for sure.

Megan

Very Busy

2007-08-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

I know you and Nathan have been very busy and so have we - but trying to get your father to take it easy. I guess that is what summer is for - to be out there doing things. It has been beautiful weather here (with some fog in the morning - and some fog all day!) and also nice times when it rains and then have an excuse to stay in and muck about. I know you enjoyed being with Nathan's family at the beach. There also must now be a 4th part of the mystery stole3 that you are working on. I have been hooking for the most part.

We had a Rotary Garage sale in the fog. We made over $700 with all our "stuff". It was warm but the fog made it nice and enough people saw us at the side of the road. It was funny. At one point we couldn't see from one end of the long table to the other the fog was so thick. We had to laugh - that is Yarmouth!

My knitting did very well at the Western Nova Scotia Exhibition. The lace shawl, little purse, yellow sweater, and Lady Eleanor all won firsts and Lady Eleanor won "Best Knitted Article". I also won a first with my biscuits in the cooking. I helped Emmi Comeau, the Director of the Handcrafts, Flowers and Cooking sort things and prepare the exhibit. She made me "Associate Director". My gray wool socks came in second - Emmi beat me out - she had a really interesting way to do the heel. She does the slip-one on the reinforced heel but does it on the opposite stitch so it makes a honeycomb pattern instead of a rib. I made a special exhibit for Rug Hooking and encouraged members to enter - which they did - so we had a very nice display.

I have started a shawl loosely based on "A wide triangle", a shawl I found in Victorian Knitting Today. The pattern reminded me about picots and showed how to add a bead to them. The yarn is different, I am making long (3 cast on) picots and putting 3 small beads on every other row instead of every third row. It is turning out very well. I like the way it hangs. The beads are dark red/gray with a green/gray sheen. They are hard to describe. The yarn is Lodband Einband by istex from Iceland. It is lace weight and really nice heather gray.

Looking forward to an update on your mystery shawl and all that you have been doing. Your father is taking it easy as he should. I am going on an (don't laugh) ocean kayaking trip with some "mature" women next week. Looking forward to this - their company - but way out of my comfort zone! Don't think I am taking any knitting!

Hello Nathan - a hug for you. Give Rushka a pat for me.

Love ya,

Mom

I Finished It!

2007-07-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-24T19:35:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-07-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-05T23:39:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-07-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

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

Trying to get "back in the grove" after 6 weeks on the road!

2007-06-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs

I am very impressed with all your projects! You have finished so many! I am sad to say that I have finished nothing but the 15 little purses (16 because I made another on the road) that are now all over Brazil - and one in Jefferson City, Missouri, that I gave to Sally. My Eleanor is still on the needles and with the finer yarn and smaller needles I am now on section 39 but it is only about 1/2 to the length I want it. I enjoy working on it. Yours is beautiful. The colours came out really well. I do like your water bottle cover. I was thinking about it in Brazil because we were so cold. I want to make one of the sweaters in the magazine you brought me from Japan but may have to get Nathan's help with the translation.

I haven't had much time because as soon as I got home I had to start working on the Rug Hooking Guild Magazine. It is already late and want to get it done. Also the garden was a mess but at least the weed are big so when you pull one a lot comes with it. We had our friend the lobster fisherman help (the season here is now over) and he whipper-snipped and put the dock in.

I loved your stories of what you saw on your travels. You found some wonderful places and I am sure that Dana enjoyed your visit. Her children are beautiful! I did the gambling thing in Macau, then we lost Ed - one of our traveling companions when we couldn't fit in all the taxis - so I didn't get to see all the wonderful places you found. I did love Japan. Spent most of my time in Kyoto . It is just a beautiful place with wonderful gardens and temples. Would love to go back to both places with Stan with time to explore on our own.

I did enjoy Brazil. We were in such a special area - Rio Grande do Sul (gaucha country and we did see gaucha's). What stands out is the people. They are so nice - lots of hugs - and welcoming. We packed so much into the 4 weeks it is hard to know where to start. I would suggest that you go to our blog Rotary GSE 2007 where we have stories of what we did and who we met with pictures. We only got to June 2 - the last day we could get good internet access - but will be filling it in for the rest of the time so visit it often for the continuing story. It was winter there (way below the equator in the mountains) and so cold. By the time we got home at night I was so tired and it was colder in the houses than outside - my hands were too cold to knit. I did like to wrap up in the wool shawls I made (they were life savers) and my knitting. We did finally had to buy gloves and long sleeve t-shirts so we could layer ourselves.

We did get to meet one young crafter who is revising the art of weaving on a frame she learned from her grandmother. You place threads on a frame and then tie then off at the intersections. Hard to describe but her art is in the fibers she puts together. She is going to write up her technique and some patterns she has developed with it. Her name is Roberta Borcarin Bordin. She has just graduated with a degree in commerce and wants to have her own business. I found her colours combinations very appealing and the fibers she selected for these combinations. She also had nice patterns. This is very much like the triangular frame I got in Missouri at Hillcreek Fibers although the weaving technique is different. I was very impressed with Hillcreek and Stan also liked the "husband chair" (thanks Nathan!). I worked on one piece on my way home on the little loom I bought. I used Noro Transitions in brown and grey tones. I am going to make 3 more pieces and hook them together. A very interesting technique of weaving the warp and the same time as the weft. I put the fringe on. It is like the old pot holder frames but more interesting.

In Brazil what did strike me more as a rug hooker than a knitter were all the patterns that are around you. Most of the streets, even in major cities are cobble stones. This is a material that is readily available and inexpensive. So you might be on a paved road and then hit the cobble stones and you rattle away down the street. It must be hard on the tires but I loved the patterns they make and the earthy colour. In fact I notice that my weaving is almost the same earth tones as the cobbles. The soil is red as are the stones. We visited an area where the stones are found - they actually break away in squares lengths and are then hit and break into the size for cobbles.

The churches from the 1800's had really nice Italian tiles that the immigrants brought with them to build. That are square and are arranged in many different ways to make different patterns. Really nice and interesting. I could imagine how I would arrange them to give a different effect. They would also make great hooked rugs. Most of them I had not seen before.

The wood floors were also interesting. Beautiful native woods were used in older homes in so many colours. Now the wood is totally protected because so much of it was cut down. The tree is a Pinheiro that only grow in this area of Brazil and are now protected. They are beautiful and very unique. People were very proud of their wood floors and took great care of them because they can't be replaced. I loved the patterns they make.

Have to get back to my magazine and try to find time for some knitting. I visited Briggs and Little in Harvey New Brunswick, outside Fredericton - on our way home - and got some 2-ply. Don't know what I am going to do with it or when I am going to do it but liked the colours.

We enjoyed seeing you in Missouri. It was nice all around. But it was also good to be home. I was gone 41 days! Home is great - weeds and all!

Hope you are feeling better and the dog is responding to the "needles" and it is not too stressful. Keep knitting.

Love ya,

Mom

Knitting update

2007-06-27T15:19:00.001-07:00

Hi Mom,

Now that I've caught you up on my Asian adventures I thought it was probably high time I got back to my knitting! Especially since there has been quite a bit on & off the needles in the past many weeks - I am now working on (almost) a whole new set of projects. Here's the rundown for you:

The first thing that I finished was the much maligned yet much loved hot water bottle cover - I am just so pleased with how it's turned out and it's already kept me warm on more than one evening! (Hey, it's summer here in San Francisco, which means the fog and cold winds are out in full force.) It's just simply pretty to look at too, even when it's not in use.

Project notes:
Pattern: Hot Water Bottle Cover, Sarah Dallas Knitting
Yarn: Debbie Bliss cotton cashmere in navy for the main body with trim of Rowan wool cotton in turquoise blue (leftover from the stash basket)
Notes: As with many Rowan projects I've completed, everything is supposed to be made in pieces and then sewn up. Instead I knit the two main body sections separately up to the shoulders, then joined them in the round for the neck and collar. The picot edging was crocheted, but that was straightforward.
I really liked the pattern and am really pleased with the final result. If I were to do another, though, I think I'd look at different yarn options. I wanted something I could throw in the wash, but the cotton cashmere was stiff and kind of squeaky which made it difficult to get neat cable edges. I'm not sure though if the suggested yarn, Rowan handknit DK cotton, would have been easier to work with or not.

My next finished object was the lovely Lady Eleanor. Doesn't she look great? I have gotten many compliments on this one and think it was definitely worth the extra time to re-knit alternating the two colors to bring a woven effect. I was intimidated by the knotting of the fringe at first but once I got into the rhythm it went by quickly. The fringe has now turned into dreadlocks somewhat as the yarn was loosely spun to begin with but I can live with that. I curled up in this on all my flights while traveling to and fro and it is my new favorite cozy shawl!

Project notes:
Pattern: Lady Eleanor, Scarf Style
Yarn: Handmaiden Yarns, Ottawa, two hanks of 3 skeins each (almost 1500 yards in total), one purchased & the second dyed to match by the lovely people at Handmaiden
Notes: My yarn was thinner than the recommended La Lana wools, so as a result my squares are 12 x 12 as opposed to the original 8 x 8 to still get the recommended size, which required minor pattern tweaks. I also made my stole somewhat longer than the original - 44 tiers in total - after all I had plenty of yarn to play with! The pattern is well written and easy to follow. Now I know why this project is so popular! If I hadn't already essentially knitted it twice, I might be tempted to make another...

I actually pushed myself to complete these two projects before I left for Asia, just so I could dig into fresh projects for all the travel time that lay ahead. Since I have heard only bad things about trying to bring knitting needles through security in both Japan and Hong Kong I decided to play it safe and cast-on for my summer crochet project instead: Rowan's Joy. The open shell pattern on the lower body has gone by very quickly, and after a few muck-ups I've even managed to figure out the single/double crochet pattern used on the upper chest.

So far I've completed the back panel and the lower section of the right front. Since 2 of the 7 balls of yarn I have for this project are from a different dyelot, I think I'm going to work up the same section of the left front next, then see how much I have left of the primary dyelot yarn before I work the two chest sections. Hopefully I can get through all of the body pieces with my primary yarn, using the second dyelot for the short cap sleeves and flower closure. Wish me luck!

While 'at home' with Dana and Rachael I worked mostly on my secret/gift project for Sarah's baby-to-be which you had a peek of while we were all in Missouri. I am almost finished with the largest part of this and should hopefully be done this week, with only two small pieces to go - good thing as the baby is due on the 3rd! Once that has been posted off & received I will finally have the chance to show off all the tiny knitting on size one needles that my hands have had to power through in this effort...

Since I'm making such good strides on these two, of course I couldn't resist the opportunity to cast-on for another, especially since Melanie has just opened up the sign-on for her Mystery Stole 3! The first clue is coming out this Friday, with sign-ups only open until July 9, and my email in-box has been overflowing with messages from the 3,000+ members (so far) all busy getting their yarn, beads and swatches ready for the big day!

The recommended yarn for MS3 is Jaeger Zephyr (in shades of black or white) which I wasn't sure how I was going to find. That is until we were on the highway from Kansas City to St. Louis and Nathan saw the sign on outside Columbia for Hillcreek Yarns. (What a great husband) When I walked in the door, there it was - a little display with cones & cones of Zephyr in so many colors to choose from! With Nathan's help (relaxing in the cozy husband's chair) I finally settled on Blueberry, a sort of steelish denim-y blue that hopefully I'll be able to work into the theme somehow (I can always just pretend it's a type of grey I guess!) After swatching the sample lace pattern I've decided to work it on US3's (the upper swatch) which is a smaller but I think a nicer lace. I've even found some beads in a light blue, which look like sparkles of ice or dew on the knitted fabric, even though I'm still not certain if I'm going to use them yet or not. I'll guess I'll know by Friday once the first clue comes out!

By the way, I cannot say enough good things about Hill Creek yarns. The staff were great, Nathan really enjoyed the chair (and the fact they helped him find an outlet to charge his phone) and I even found a copy of the elusive Interweave Favorite Socks book for myself. If only I lived in Columbia, MO, I'd be in there all the time!

Of course, with all the new projects I cannot forget my lovely Eveleen that I am still plugging away at row by row. The pattern calls for 9 repeats of the lace pattern before I get to start the flower panel on the chest, but when I got there I decided it was still just a bit too short. So here I am now on repeat #10. Since it's short sleeved and the temperatures here have dropped, I'm not that worried that it's taken some time to work through this. I think that with the overall look & tone it will be just perfect for fall - luckily just when the weather gets warm enough here to wear short sleeves again!

Happy knitting to you,

Megan

Travel Tales, Part 1 - Tokyo

2007-06-22T14:09:00.001-07:00

Hi Mom, I'm back!

After a month of travel and general hecticness (including a wicked cold and finding out we had a diabetic dog - what a mind spin) I finally feel like I'm starting to get my bearings back and process all that has been going on. Somehow along the way the month of May just slipped right by and I cannot believe that it is already almost-the-end of June. Where did it all go? Oh yes, onto airplanes and into doctor's offices. At least I have some photos to share of some of the highlights of the past 4 weeks...

I can't believe it was just over a month ago that I found myself so improbably on a plane to Tokyo hoping that once I landed I'd be able to find my way to Dana's house and not end up lost in translation in the middle of Japan. Once I landed, though, all my fears evaporated - Japan (and later Hong Kong) were both so easy to navigate that I was soon able to relax and just revel in the strange twisted almost-familiarity of it all (how is it that both Dana in Tokyo and Rachael in Hong Kong live closer to both a McDonald's and a 7-Eleven than I do here in California?)

I have to start off, though, with what might just be the best photo of all - Dana's three kiddos, having fun. (L to R: Cian, Kate & Sophie - hopefully Dana will let me know if I've got that wrong!)

While most of my time was spent relaxing with Dana and the babies in Komaba, we did manage to get out and see some sights. Of course we couldn't pass up a visit to Shibuya crossing (including my first ever izikaya experience) to view the crowds from the vantage made famous in part by Lost in Translation:

(Really, it's from the window of a Starbucks - and the lights are so bright I didn't even need a flash)

We also spent a day exploring the high-end shops of Omotesando (thanks to Sophie's appointment at the nearby Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic), including a wonderful lunch with Dana's husband Olivier followed by a relaxing walk through the grounds of the Meiji temple.

Sophie & I by the outer gates.

Sake offerings to the temple.

Raking the pathway; temple doors & lanterns.

And the highlight of our time at Meiji - preparing prayers to be burnt in offering by the priests:

It was a great visit, but much too short! I am already making plans to go back. In case you couldn't tell, Dana is expecting again, a second set of twins due in September. And Nathan generally has meetings in Japan in the fall....

Travel Tales Part 2 - Hong Kong

2007-06-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong harbor by night and by day....

After two short days in Tokyo, it was up early in the morning to be escorted by Olivier through the maze of Shibuya, onto the train to Narita and then the flight to Hong Kong. Once I finally connected with Rachael (when are flights ever early?) it was a quick drop-off of the bags before we were out to dinner, across the harbor on the Star Ferry and then to the ballet. What can I say, I was ready to take Hong Kong by storm!

The next morning, a public holiday in honor of Buddha's birthday, we struck a much more relaxed pace and headed out for a hike through Victoria Peak and Pok Fu Lam Country parks. We were climbing up to the Peak to visit Rachael's school and bake some cakes for two of her students who were leaving. (Buddha's birthday is celebrated by the bun cake festival, after all - I hope he approves of angel food and carrot cakes too).

The vertical city as viewed through the trees on our way up the peak...

Hong Kong business district and harbor - the shot of the cargo ships is in honor of Nathan!

View from the peak - I can't believe I made it all the way up - and that my sweaty shirt looks so neat...

Rachael's classroom.

The view from Rachael's flat. Bonus: the building in the center background 'dances' at night as part of the Harbor light show!

In addition to touring the city with Rachael, I also had two days to explore on my own while she was at work. Here are some quick shots of the sights I discovered along the way....

Trees growing upwards anyway they can (here from a rock wall on Peel Street) across from Hong Kong street art.

The vertical heights of the double-decker trams (!) cruising through Wan Chai and Causeway bay; the internationalism of Stanley (including Australian Beer, a British Pub, and the Main Street USA restaruant) on Hong Kong island's southern peninsula.

Temple doors and burning incense coils of prayer at Man Mo Temple, down the hill from Rachael on Hollywood Road.

Over what was Memorial Day weekend in the US and Victoria Day in Canada, Rachael and I took two trips off of Hong Kong island. On Sunday this meant an excursion to Lantau where we hiked a section of the island trail leading to the Lantau Buddha (the largest seated bronze Buddha in the world - they had to make sure they had all the qualifiers there!). Although the day was warm we had the pleasure of hiking through the clouds, which broke here and there to give us a glimpse of the path ahead (although it was so vertical for the first half, I'm glad these views were rare!) and the Buddha in the distance.

And yes, that's me in my WWMDK t-shirt, courtesy of CraftLit!

Finally we made it to the Buddha, whose serenity and calm in the midst of the tourist throngs seemed both to enhance and wipe away my feeling of sticky sweatiness as we climbed the long staircase to the base of the statue.

After relaxing in the Buddha's glow, we headed back down the mountain (and barely escaped the cloudburst of rain) to enjoy a wonderful Namibian/South African meal (really!) on the beach with a jug of white sangria. The perfect end to a great day of what was a wonderful trip!

Before I left, though, I couldn't resist a photo of a Rotary sculpture that we passed by on Nathan Road in TST. This one is for you & Tina!

Travel Tales Part 3 - Macau

2007-06-22T11:50:00.001-07:00

For our Memorial/Victoria Day expeditions off of Hong Kong island, Rachael and I were able to include a day trip to the former Portuguese colony and current Chinese SEZ of Macau. I must admit, thanks to my love of Mozambique gained while in Africa I am just a sucker for anything Portuguese. I can't explain it, it just is. So when I realized that my travel guide for Hong Kong, picked up at Narita on my way out of Japan, was a guide for Hong Kong and Macau, there was no way I was going to pass up any chance I could get to add this stop to my journey!

So on the Saturday morning we headed down to the harbor for the hour-long ferry that would take us there across the South China Sea. Here is our first view of Macau - and the casinos that line the waterfront - as we headed into port:

The tower is just a tower, an adventure destination those sporty types who like to rappel off of tall buildings, i.e. neither Rachael nor myself. As were are also less than enthusiastic gambler, we headed instead down to the southern tip of Macau to the village of Coloane for a feast of a Portuguese lunch in a small local cafe.

Rachael in the plaza;
Coloane architecture and a local shop (I haven't seen dried fish like this since I was in Africa)

After lunch we headed back to Macau proper to explore the Largo de Senado (the town square) and the ruins of the Church of St. Paul

From the ruins we headed up to the Fort, passing by this scene on the way. Not only is this an 'official' dog W.C. but also a place for people to 'walk' their birds - since songbirds learn songs from one another, owners will bring their birds to public places like this so that they can expand their repertoires. I would love to have a spot like this in San Francisco!

In between the square and the ruins we passed through a maze of shops where the old and new came together in a big way. In among the Hang Ten and H2O shops were sellers enticing customers with two of Macau's favorite delicacies - a type of butter biscuit and dried meat, strips of which were cut on request off for taste-tests. While we gave these two a pass, we did fall for egg tarts, the other famous macanese sweet treat. Yum!

We also got to ogle at some of the, well, unique stores and advertising banners. Feel like buying your next best party outfit at a store called Ick? You can do it in Macau. How about some Tough Gear for the tough life of today? Make sure you're prepared!

One of the most fascinating parts of Macau, though, was right at our feet - the decorated mosaic paving stones found throughout the territory, in Coloane (like this boat) and around the Largo de Senado. I was able to snap pictures of only a tiny sample of all the different shapes and designs. I could go back just for these!

What can I say, our day in Macau was too short - an adjective that describes my whole time in both Japan & Hong Kong. I'm already looking forward to my next trip over! While it was great to travel by myself - I think I really needed to stretch my wings again by hitting the road on my own - next time I would like to go with Nathan by my side. Not only so that I can see his Tokyo (and introduce him to Dana's babies) but so that I can show off what I have discovered of Hong Kong and Macau. And so we can discover whole new places of our own together too!

By the time I got back, I was wiped out to say the least. At least I wasn't the only one - after I picked the lady up from Pet Camp, we both crashed out mightily when we got home!

Of course, I've been up to plenty of knitting too, but I think that can wait for my next update...

Megan

The BEST Mother's Day Present

2007-05-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

Wow, Megan. You gave me THE most wonderful Mother's Day present! Now, because of your crocheting - I can keep a baby warm in Afghanistan! As you know, when you told me about it - I got tears in my eyes. Just like I did when you "gave" me the giraffe at the Lincoln Park Zoo - which I still have - helping to feed him.

I love your scarf. Mine is still a "work in progress" but it IS the project I am taking to Brazil with me - and the sock pattern from Lace-Cuff Anklets from my other mother's day gift - the Interweave knit "Favorite Socks" - I have decided these are the only projects I am taking but may find some Brazilian yarn. We are also close to Uraguay and I know they have beautiful yarn there. Well I am also taking some Noro so I can make more little purses if I need to.

So, can't brag much about finishing anything - but the 15 little purses! I also have the shawls finished and stacked up ready for delivery to team members. So - have been productive but only with a very limited collection of items.

Nice to talk to you on Mother's Day. Here are the great big PEI mussels we had for supper - prepared like they did at Hog Island - with "greens". They were terrific but we made to many - we needed about 3 more people to help us finish them.

We had a Yarmouth Craft Guild meeting last night and we got the brochures we had printed "Yarmouth Area Working Studios". It features 12 Crafters (This is the Year of the Crafter - at least in Canada) who would welcome visitors to their studios. I am NUMBER 6! (you can see my lace shawl left, socks and rug, second one down on the back of the brochure.) EVeryone says the picture makes me look 10 years old - but I guess for a 64 year old, that's not bad!

These will be distributed to tourists spots and other places where people might want to see crafts in the Yarmouth area. It is really nice. Lots of great people in it. Proud to be part of it.

So - that is my news. Have to finish my final pack! Next time I post - if I am able - it will be from Brazil!

Love ya, Mom

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

To celebrate, I have a picture of the completed no-longer-secret ripple project: a baby blanket made in your honor for the afghans for Afghans mother's day campaign!

(This gift in addition to Interweave's Favorite Sock Patterns book from Imagiknits whose last copy I nabbed for you during our shopping excursion there last Friday... I am such a good daughter!)

I made the blanket out of 5 skeins of Cascade 220, with 8 rows total for each of the colors used. I alternated 2 single rows of color with one double row, generally moving up and down the color range from blue to yellow to green to purple to orange and back again, with a few tweaks here and there. The stitch is my version of the crochet ripple stitch, cobbled together from a few on-line patterns and blog postings from those using this pattern from the 200 Ripple Stitch pattern book (which I was sadly too lazy to actually purchase for a single stitch pattern), using half-double crochet throughout. I think it turned out pretty well in the end.

With all the leftover bits of yarn I even managed to eke out a little baby hat to match (and I really mean eked out - at one point I contemplated going back to the wastepaper basket to pick out the pieces cut out as I wove in the ends on the blanket if I didn't have enough left to finish up the top - thank goodness it didn't come to that!) The finished size is 15" around and 6" deep, so it should be good (I hope) for a 6 to 12 month old. The brim pattern was inspired by Ada June, a very cute flower petal hat in this month's issue of magknits, while the overall size and head shaping came from the Dale baby hat pattern that I'm going to make for Sarah. I just think it's too cute, and hopefully will make an Afghan child and it's mother happy.

The blanket and hat are now both washed and blocked, waiting to come along with me on Tuesday when I go to help pack this latest shipment to help get it on it's way.

Speaking of afghans for Afghans, we were on TV!!!!!!!! Remember I told you a few weeks ago that we were interviewed by the local ABC7 station? Well it aired on Friday, and now you can watch it too!

I was clearly on a bit of a finishing frenzy here this week with you and Dad back home and Nathan in Chicago, because not only did I get the baby blanket and hat done, but I also completed the final tier on Lady Eleanor while watching Dreamgirls (love the costumes!) with Connie next door:

With 600m of the dark color and 900 of the lighter, I had more than enough yarn to get through 43 tiers so this should be a very snuggly wrap indeed. As you can see the futon is barely long enough to contain it as it blocks! It is definitely taller than me and I have yet to do the fringe (that will be next week's project). I did put the finishing single crochet round along all four sides, not just the short two edges as specified in the pattern, to give it a more overall appearance using the darker colored yarn. The trick for right now is keeping the lady Rushka off of the couch while my Lady Eleanor dries. Let's hope it works.

I have also been making steady progress on my Eveleen - I am really excited to see how she will turn out. I have now completed 5 of the 9 lace repeats on the front and back body panels and it just looks so pretty I had to share:

Finally, here are some of Nathan's shots from our visit to Napa (he did also take pictures of people, but not as many as you did!)

The view from Artesa:

Artesa's courtyard roof:

The grapes and the poppies at Robert Mondavi:

What can I say, it was all too beautiful (and a beautiful day!)

I hope that you are easily getting packed and ready for your trip to Brazil. I can't believe that I am leaving as well for Tokyo & Hong Kong in less than 6 days! I am getting set with gifts to bring, clothes to pack and, most importantly, projects to knit on the plane....

Have a great trip to Brazil - I can't wait to see all your photos and hear about all that you've done.

Megan

We're Home - Great time in San Francisco!

2007-05-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

We are home but still recovering from the jet lag. After a long flight and our drive to Yarmouth we didn't get home until 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning - and have been busy, busy since then getting ready to go to Brazil.

But here is a short tour of our visit: Meeting at Union Square;

walking up 1000's of stairs to Coit Tower;
parrots on the Embarcadero;

Then meeting Rushka again,

;us at the Palace of Fine Arts, hearing Jazz & Jazz &Over the Golden Gate Bridge to Wine Country

Visiting the wonderful Napa Valley

Then more Dinner at your flat, more Jazz, the view from

Twin Peaks, Gardens at Golden Gate Park and

base ball.
What a great time we had. We did a lot more like Half Moon Bay, shopping for a black dress & skirt, books and CD's, Jazz, going to the knitting shop and buying yarn, tea tasting and tea for lunch, riding the metro, eating in wonderful places - fresh oysters, sushi, Russian, Thai, your great pizza, Tra Vigne, wine, wine and wine, Jazz, cream puffs, SFMOMA, walking, climbing, walking up and down, parks, wine, ice cream, great small hotel and seeing your both and Rushka. I know I have left out so much. We really packed a lot in to those few days.

Now home. It has been run, run trying to get everything organized for the Brazil trip. We take off early morning on the 15th, Wednesday. Think everything is falling into place. Have the shawls done, am working on the last of the 15 little purses (thanks for your contribution - can you pick it out?). I made two on the way home on the plane.

And when we got home your Star magnolia tree greeted us. We could see it glowing in the dark as we pulled into the driveway. It is in almost full bloom.

I will try to stay in touch while in Brazil. I got a my own Blackberry and should have some access to a computer - I hope. We also have our own Rotary Brazil GSE Blog so you can follow along with that as well.

Clay is in a good mood - met a new girl....

Love ya, Thanks for the grand time. Hope Nathan enjoyed Chicago - we missed him those last few days - enjoyed our time with you two. See you in Missouri at the wedding.

Mom

We are on our way

2007-04-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

Wow - can't believe it too so long for our birthday gifts to get to San Francisco. Almost one month! I did send it slow freight. Happy you liked them - and so did the Lady. Almost all, as you mentioned, are "recycled". They are the best kind. Samantha finds cashmere sweaters at Frenchies and unwinds them, washes and you have beautiful cashmere for almost nothing.

Loved all the things you are doing. Really can't wait to see it all in person and see the flowers. We heard about the melted highway- wow!

I am writing this from the Airport Hilton in Halifax - so it will be short. With all the things I had to get done before I left - mostly Brazil, lobster calendar, income tax, forms because we are almost turning 65, it was a wild last few days. I finished all 5 shawls, washed, blocked, dried and folder ready to go!

I also did my first dyeing. It is a 6 value swatch for the bee hive of the Rug Bees apron for the Spring Fling. I left them in the jars so they would be a little mottled and it worked well.

But - am working away on my little purses for my host families. They are turning out really nice. I am using Noro in various colours. I have made 4 and finished another and almost another on the drive from Yarmouth to Halifax. I have to make 15. Each one is different - really interesting to see how they are turning out.

That is all the time I have - we can blog together when I get there. Loved to read your last post. Gives me a flavour of San Francisco and for the record, Yarmouth has been beautiful, sunny and warm except for the last few days! I planted some flowers in pots beside the door. They are beautiful but hope the frost doesn't get them while we are away.

I can truly say - see your tomorrow! Hope I can knit on the flight. It is a long flight.

Love ya,

Mom

Goodies Galore

2007-04-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Mom,

While I hadn't planned to post again until you got here, I've been inundated with so much good stuff this past week that I had to share. Both gifts that I've bought for myself (it's good to be nice to yourself sometimes) and one's that I've gotten in the mail - from you!

That's right, your package of Easter and Birthday gifts finally arrived - how nice to get to celebrate these holidays again! I love the 'historic/eco' theme to all my birthday gifts - from the
recycled yarn to the vintage knitting needles and 'knitting pins'. Plus the Yarmouth Lighthouse is historic too - how better to honor that than with a candle? (Well, maybe there are better ways, but I'm going with that reasoning for now). The Easter gifts were much appreciated by all as well- I had to stop myself from consuming my entire chocolate bunny within a short 24-hour period, but it's going down fast. And as you can see, the Wizzo was a hit with the lady too:

She hasn't quite figured out that it's not for chewing on yet and there are already a couple of punctures but other than that it's holding up well!

Also in the mail on Friday was a gift for myself that I couldn't resist: A What-Would-Madame-De-farge-Knit t-shirt. That's right, I can proudly proclaim my knit-geekiness to the world, as well as my dedication to the CraftLit podcast where we are now listening to (you guessed it) A Tale of Two Cities. It should be perfect to run in, and maybe to bring a double take or two to the people who stop me for directions. (That's right, people in cars stop me when I'm running to ask for directions -last Friday it was a group of teenagers wanting to know where "Haight & Asby" was. I knew I emitted 'helpful person' vibes normally since people often ask me questions when I'm walking down the street, but I didn't know they transmitted so far as to infect people even when I'm moving at speed!)

My biggest gift/splurge, though, came on Saturday when Nathan & I checked out the SFMoMA Artist's Warehouse sale, and I came away with this:

It's a photograph, Deer, by local artist Nadim Sabella, who did a photo survey of abandoned houses in the West. This acquisition was funded in large part by birthday money given to me by Glenn & Tina. I had been looking for just the right thing to do with it - saving seemed, well, logical but uninspired, but I also didn't want to use it for an everyday purchase. This was perfect! So thank you Glenn & Tina - I can't wait to get it framed!

Since it's better to give than to receive, I have also been working on a gift for Nathan's cousin Alison who gave birth in March to a beautiful baby boy, David Ramon. With the many t-shirt shoulders left over from cutting the fabric for the rug (which only used the torso sections), I was inspired to modify Martha's sock-dog pattern from the Holiday Handmade Gift magazine to use the soft t-shirt fabric. It took a bit of fiddling and reconstructing to get this all together (even though I had more seperate pieces, I ended up sewing the body together pretty much as one) but I think the end product is pretty cute! Here he is once the pieces were all assembled:

And again now that he is all stuffed and ready to go to his new home. As you can see, he's gotten pretty comfortable here hanging out with Rushka, but I'm sure he'll like it with David too!

On the knitting front, all of my projects are humming along - I'm trying to get a certain amount done on each every day (the one exception being the water bottle cover, which is relegated to public transit knitting mostly right now) and I'm making quite a bit a progress as I go. My Lady E is now on tier 31 which mean only 6 tiers to go! (since I need to end on an odd row to make the ends match up) Once I get to row 36 I think I'll measure out all the yarn I need for the fringe (which is quite a bit - it's complex) and if I have enough left I'll take it on to 43 tiers total. Since I still have another unused skein of the lighter pink wool, I think I'll be safe. 43 = Nathan + Me, so it's my favorite knitting number!

Of course, coming to the end of this stole (and my ripple mystery project, also in the home stretch) I'm already thinking of what to do next. Thursday I met a friend for tea and we took a quick trip to Imagiknit where I picked up all of the leaf green Baby Ull that they had on the shelves for knitted gifts for Sarah. (I'm planning to combine two pattern sets from Dale Book 164.) If airport rules allow, I think that her baby knits will be the bulk of my travel knitting in Asia - the yarn is light for the heat and the blanket should be good 'mindless' knitting while in the air. Plus I need to push through if I'm going to get it all done for mid-June!

Loading this green in my 'upcoming projects' basket at home, I found the yellow Fleece Artists merino sock yarn that has been waiting to be cast on since I bought it at Doris' in December. (It was wound up this spring to show Glenn how the winder & swift worked together - he was intrigued by the mathematical construction of the swift). Then I looked over at the two skeins of hot pink Tess' silky wool sitting in my 'waiting for a project' yarn basket and thought: Project Spectrum colors for April/May! So here is my photo for this color triad. I think the silky wool may become a Hanami stole from Pink Lemon twist, although it will probably be more of a scarf (that's the size I got out of my last two skeins of silky wool, a beautiful smoky grey that became a bird-nest's scarf based on the shawl pattern in Folk Knits). It's the right pink, and the concept behind the pattern is great, so we'll see if that idea holds.

It seems that right now my to-do project pile is quickly exceeding my ability to knit fast, since I also picked up the latest issue of Rowan Magazine and am now trying to decide which sweater to cast-on once I get done with Eveleen. We'll not mention the fact that I'm only into repeat 4 of the 9 lace scallops on the body of Eveleen and have yet to even contemplate the intarsia panel on the chest! I'm already thinking out yarn options and colors for either one of these two as the next project: Joy (which is crochet, and I'm always on the lookout for good crochet patterns) or Ophelia (with or without the sleeves, I'm still not sure)

I don't know if it's the spring flowers in the photos, the ice-cream colors of the yarns, or just the general warm feelings from having so many inspiring ideas and goodies to play with, but I went out to buy some flowers and actually found lilacs (rare here in San Francisco). The sight & smell of them brought me right back to the end of the school year in Ottawa when we all picked lilacs for our teachers in elementary school, wrapping the stems in wet paper towels secured with aluminum foil to keep the fresh on the way. Now every time I walk into the kitchen I am transported back. Too bad we don't have the warm sunny weather here right now to match!

Maybe you can bring some sunny Yarmouth weather with you when you come tomorrow? We could use it - we are supposed to have lots of fog and rain over the next few days. So sad!

One thing I am glad about, though, is that I will be picking you up at SFO and not in Oakland, since I do not want anything to do with the massive traffic nightmare over in the East Bay that is the melted freeway. Today all public transit in the area is free to try to lure people out of their cars, since cars won't really have anywhere to go on the other side of the bridge anyways. What they will do for the next 6 months it will take to get the interchange back together, I don't know.....

Until your arrival, I will leave you with another photo in my flowers of San Francisco series. These are huge flowering masses that rise up out of bushes and eventually topple from their own weight. While the ones in Buena Vista park are mostly purple, these ones that I photographed in the Marina were more blue. All are lovely!

I'll see you tomorrow at the airport,

Megan

Barely one week to go...

2007-04-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

...until you & Dad get in to San Francisco! I can't believe it is so soon. Aside from all of Dad's plans, is there anything that you want to do? (Besides visit yarn stores, I mean. I am sure a visit to Imagiknit will be in the cards, along with a stop at Samovar so that Dad can relax over tea)

I had also wondered whether you knew Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, given how small the Maritimes are. Everyone in Yarmouth who was close to her must be in shock. Here the pro-gun advocates are already on the soapbox claiming that looser gun restrictions would have prevented this from happening and that guns should be allowed in schools so that people can defend themselves. (?!) The logic is mind-boggling. It seems we are a long way away on this side of the border from actually confronting the violence in society effectively. Not to mention the family who tried to hide their son and do everything to pretend the problem wasn't there so as to avoid bringing shame to themselves in the Korean-American community, isolating them all in the process and leading to tragedy in the long run.

But I am glad to hear that the sun has finally come to Yarmouth - it must be great to feel the outside waking up again. Nathan and I spent some time this weekend visiting the 'wilds' of downtown San Francisco this weekend, snapping pictures in between the rain bursts. Here are some of my favorites - which seem all the more urban contrasted with your riding mower with the laundry in the background!

Our excuse for heading out was member's day at SFMoMA, where we checked out the photography collection, the SECA Award winners (we came away with our own packet of Victory Garden seeds) and the Brice Marden exhibit, very inspiring for his use of color and texture. We also picked up a very cute and inspiring book, Food Play, a perfect antidote for someone taking his job in the food industry too seriously! (Check out the 'surprise me' pages for some peeks at the fun) But we did wait to see the current big ticket show, Picasso and American Art, until you get here. Somehow that seemed like something that might be right up your alley.

I am also glad to hear that your marathon of shawls (and Doris' marathon of spinning) are coming to a close - it will feel good to have some other knitting in your hands. And I'm sure the little purses are a much needed quick-fix breather in the meantime. They look really cute and I know you'll breeze through them. I'm sure you'll have a great time in Brazil as well, it has always been on my to-visit list. My ideal would be to go for New Year's in Rio for the Festa de lemanja, joining all the revelers dressed in white diving into the ocean at the stroke of midnight under the fireworks. (I know someone who did this for the millennium and I've been jealous ever since). Some day...

For the meatime, though, I guess I'm just going to have to content myself with finally getting to visit Asia. After talking about it off and on since February, tickets are tentatively booked for me to fly out to Tokyo at the end of May to visit Dana, then head over to Hong Kong to spend time with Nathan's sister Racheal and help her set up her new apartment. I can't believe it's really going to happen. I'll get to see Dana (who sent me a fabulous birthday package with the cutest little bag, picture frame and matching cellphone and card holder set - love the cherries!) and finally meet her three babies (plus the two on the way). And then I'll get to spend time with Rachael on her turf and get her to show me all her favorite sites that up to now I've only been able to see in the photos of everyone else who's visited her so far. Hopefully we'll get the chance to do some hiking around the island too, in addition to visiting all the city shops and finding all the things to make her new apartment a cozy home. That is, if the monsoons don't wash us away...

Nathan and I are also heading out to Anne's wedding in June, but I'm going to stay longer with Sarah so that I can go to her shower (planned for the next weekend) and hopefully help her get ready for her baby to be. Plus that will give me some time to visit with Mamer too, which is overdue. All that plus your visit and Meredith, Susan and Ellen visiting in July will make it a busy three months, but it should all be great.

As for my knitting, I am making steady progress on both my Lady E (up to tier 24, only 12 to go!) and on my Eveleen, now almost 3 repeats in to the body. Somehow in the midst of all of this I managed to finish the first long side of the water bottle cover too. I know you don't understand this project but everyone here in SF who I've shown it to understood immediately! Must be the combination of damp foggy weather and a lack of indoor central heating that makes the idea of a hot water bottle warming up the bed all that more appealing. My secret crochet project is rippling along well too - the crochet is a nice break, and the colors are flowing nicely. Here's another peek for you - I just think it's really cute!

And I was thinking today that if your dye sink is a success, I just might have a custom order for you. The yarn that I got from Afghans for Afghans back in November still needs to be overdyed, and I'm worried about making a hash out of so much yardage. It's almost enough to make a sweater of if I can get it all to turn out! So maybe this is a project you'd like to try out for me? You can take a look when you get here...

And speaking of A4A, someday sometime there is the chance the group might get its 15 minutes (or more likely 120 seconds!) of fame. Last week a group of us were interviewed by the local ABC7 news crew for a Friday feature segment highlighting the organization. I have no idea when it will run, but there will be an internet link when it does. There should be photos from that day up on the A4A site soon too - I'll keep you posted!

In the meantime, have a great week - and travel safe! We'll see you here soon,

Megan

Spring has arrived in Yarmouth

2007-04-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

Spring has finally arrived here! We have little flowers and today we cleaned up the yard. One sure sign of spring is that we can put the clothes on the line (couldn't last week - that awful Nor'easter just about blew us away - wild winds!) and Dad has his tractor out!

We have little daffodils and crocuses up and others almost to burst. Love your flowers - they are so nice.

Can't wait to see you guys - but it almost didn't happen! Had an awful few days last week - Canada Post lost an Express Post (24 hrs) registered (get a signature) letter I sent on the 11th to Clay with all our original "important papers" so he could get his US citizenship - including my US passport! After a lot of crazies including calling the RCMP (really worried about identity theft - so were the RCMP) and with NO help from Canada Post "investigators" (their tracking said, "delivered to recipient" (no signature) on Friday the 13th - YIKES) it arrived 7 days later all beat up. I wouldn't have been able to cross the boarder by plane without it because of new US RULES. Clay then Fedex'ed it back to me (it did come in less than 24 hrs) so all is well and we will be on our way May 1. Canada Post is going to give me my $18.81 back! Nice of them. Nothing like having your identities floating around Toronto for 7 days.

In the middle of all this came the news of the shootings at Virginia Tech. Awful, awful. The French teacher who was killed was from Yarmouth - graduated from Yarmouth High School. She is Muriel Mooney's sister - you may remember Muriel from your work At the Sign of the Whale. She is Joan's friend. Very sad - the whole thing is nuts. I found it really shook me up. And knowing the campus of Indiana University in a small town like VT, there is no way to get word to people. It happened, everyone did their best. Can't predict what people will do. This came just after the deaths of 10 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and one badly injured young man who was from Yarmouth - his mother goes to Figures with me. Too close to home!

Got some wonderful pictures of your grandmother (my dear old mother) taken at Easter with Meredith . She doesn't look 90 - almost 91! They had a little Easter gathering for her at John Knox. Meredith really looks like a young woman. You will have a grand time when she - and the "aunts" visit you this summer.

I have also been working with the Rotary GSE team getting all our documents, clothes, gifts, airline tickets, yada, yada, yada,.... ready to leave on May 16th for Brazil. Have to get it as organized as possible before we leave to come to see you. We have started our own GSE 7820/4700 Blog. We hope to post as we go along so everyone will know what we are up too. Don't know if this is going to be possible - don't know how busy we will be - but we hope so. We, Gabrielle, Heather-Anne, Amy, Nola and me, are really getting excited. We will have our tickets and visas soon!

When I come back from Brazil I am flying directly to Kansas City to Anne's wedding. Don't know if you will be coming - hope you are. Clay isn't because his friend Austin, from Ottawa, is getting married that same weekend. Your Dad is going to drive down via baseball parks. Then we are going to drive home via Fredericton, New Brunswick, so Stan can go to a retirement party for the Executive Director of the Canadian Literacy Data Base - Stan was on their board for many years. We probably won't be home until the end of June. Kind of a crazy May & June.

I am almost finished the last - 5th - shawl. Doris said she is NEVER going to spin dark brown wool again! Will be so happy when I get these done. Then I thought I really should do something for the Rotarians who are going to host me. First I tried a felted purse - NOT GOOD! Looks muddy. I used two different yarns and I got a flower pot! Live and learn. Sometimes the variegated yarns look nice but when you felt them they go AWFUL. The yarns matched before I felted it. Somehow the green disappeared in the variegated yarn. I think I WILL make it into a flower pot cover.

So I am making the little purse - about 4"X6" from a pattern in "One Skein Wonders", the Lotus Purse, page 49. I am using Noro Kureyon and the colours are turning out really nicely. It is an interesting pattern - I used it before with blue denim yarn - you slip every other one stitch with yarn in front when you knit and yarn in back when your purl. Makes a fabric look. I braided the fringe. I might have to enlist your help with this project - I need to make at least 12 of them. It takes about two hours to make one. I will bring this project with me to San Francisco. I am using pewter buttons from Nova Scotia that I got at At The Sign of the Whale. Don't remember who makes them.

Then on top of that I am hooking a pattern on an apron we are going to give away at the Spring Fling. This is a one-day event where the Yarmouth rug hookers, the Rugg Bees and Carpetbaggers, invite hookers in the area (Digby, Shelburn, Lunenburg, Annapolis Valley) to a hook-in. It is always grand fun. I will probably miss it this year but will make the prize. It won't take very long but I am going to dye a 6 value swatch of a brownish colour for the hive. I am all set up downstairs and this will be my first real project in the "basement lab". I have the wool soaking now.

Just got back from the Mayflower Awards. The town and municipality of Yarmouth award certificates to people in the community who have nice gardens. It is a nice event at the Town Hall. We have won it for several years. I think once you win you just keep getting the certificate unless you die or your property goes to rack and ruin - which it may this year because we are both going to be gone during prime weeding season!

So - kind of crazy here. At least I have my passport back. This and VT did not help with my stress level. But - I do it to myself.

Good for you for the running thing. I am also running - on a treadmill. As you know, running down a country road is sort of boring and also dangerous! Would be much nicer in SF. The pictures are beautiful but not sure what the flower is. It may be a passion flower fully opened. It is a vine but the flowers are usually more purple. I do my running at Figures. I haven't lost much weight either - about 9 lbs so far - but my body has changed for the better - in the butt and middle areas (uppers and lowers). I am up to 1.5 miles/day and then I do the circuit of machines. It takes about an hour. I go at least 3 times a week - sometimes more. I do enjoy it but do I ever sweat! Just like my father.

Your shawl is coming along nicely as is your Eveleen. It is nice to take things slowly. I have just set myself too many deadlines these days. And I do like your mystery project - but don't like to crochet but do like what it makes. It hurts my hands - although I do like the rhythm of it. I am going to bring my Lady Eleanor with me. I haven't done a stitch on it - won't till I finish the shawls but will work it in between little bags! I think I'm nuts.

So - we will be there on May 1. You will have to talk to your father about when because he keeps talking to Air Canada and they keep changing stuff. You know how he loves to fiddle with that kind of thing. He also has plans about what we are doing so I am just along for the ride, to be with him and you both and Rushka. Going to be great.

Here is a cartoon from the New Yorker that hits in on the head with your Father and me! ("All I ever wanted was one of those gizmos that allow time travel without violating the grandfather paradox, but, oh no, you had to have your damn model-train layout with automatic freight-shunting capability")

I can now say - will be seeing you! The peepers on the pond just started peeping last Saturday night when we came home from the Hospital Gala we heard them for the first time. Now they are in full voice - I love the sound.

Love ya,
Mom

Spring Flowers

2007-04-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Mom - Your house looks great! It must feel so good to be rid of the carpet and the wallpaper. Especially nice to curl up in the finished house with all the bad weather pounding hard in the Northeast - from snow to Nor'easters to who knows what is next. Hopefully you are bearing up well through it all.

We are alternating between rain and bright sunshine, with a steady wind off the ocean the only constant. The 'breeze' makes running a bit of an experience - somehow no matter which direction I'm moving in, it's always into a wall of wind - sometimes strong enough to almost knock down! But I'm bearing through and tomorrow I'll enter the last week of my 'training program', up to 3 miles each run, 3x a week. I'm impressed with myself, even if it still doesn't seem that I'm loosing any weight! I'm not sure if I'll try to keep increasing the distance or work on improving my speed since I'm really a bit of a pokey turtle. Especially considering that Hans, the original founder of Nathan's company in San Francisco, finished the Boston Marathon yesterday in less than 4 hours, with an average pace of 8.3 minutes per mile. (Congratulations Hans!) He leaves me in the dust!

The mix of sun and rain is bringing out all the flowers here and it is really beautiful to walk around the city right now. Here are some shots from recent wanderings, a pink flower (do you know what this is?) growing along a school fence in Cow Hollow, one of a cluster of vine-wrapped callas in a side garden down the road from us which I get to pass every time I head down to catch the muni, and the tulips by the windmill in golden gate park:

My knitting projects are steadily growing along too. I am through the body of the first (long) side of the water bottle cover (silly though it may seem) and am now on the neck shaping. I am also back up to the halfway point on my Lady E version 2 thanks to a concerted effort to try to get through a tier a day - so far I am keeping up with it and I am almost back to where I was before I ripped it back:

(and yes, there is a brown/gold streak running through almost every square, along with scattered speckles of white - really pretty)

I am making so much progress on these two, in fact, that to counter the steady repeat by repeat nature of these two, I have taken the leap to cast on two other projects in the past two weeks as well. (This makes a total of 4 projects OTN, which is a big number for me - I like to get things finished!)

First, as a little birthday present to myself, I decided to finally cast on the Rowan Eveleen (which has been waiting so long for me to be done with Lady E so that it can be her turn!) I have been working slowly through the 14-row lace pattern, which is really pretty in the way it makes these scalloped shells:

I am trying not to push through this one too fast, enjoying the laciness of it for now. I am now half way through the second repeat, with 9 total before I get to the flower pattern on the chest. I am working both the front and back panels at the same time, so even though it's slow for now once they're done I'll be able to move straight into the sleeves and finishing. I think this will be really pretty!

My second project is a bit of secret for now, but here's a teaser. It's a crochet pattern that I have wanted to try for a while, inspired again by Yarnstorm and her rippling along (which has inspired a whole ripple along blog, so I'm not alone). Since I don't have the pattern book myself I've had to work at this a bit to get the ripple effect I wanted, but so far it's working out well. You'll get to see the finished object (or at least the work in progress) when you get here in May...

I have also been listening to a new podcast, The Knitting Cook. Lots of great recipes, fiber talk and adventures of a woman living with her husband and (now three) kids in Germany. I can't wait to try my first one of her recipes - will it be the bean and spinach soup or the prosciutto and mushroom pasta sauce? Although the salted caramel ice cream sounds good too...

Right now, though, I'm listening to all of the news on Virginia Tech, thanks to our new XM home kit (a birthday present from Nathan) which allows me to get my CNN fix in every day. All of these stories are just so sad - the number of people lost and injured is just too big and the finger-pointing that has already begun is just so pointless. Hopefully someone will find a way to figure out why these kinds of things keep happening here. Maybe it's time for me to step away from the computer, make some tea, and try to enjoy the sunshine and flowers instead...

Hopefully you are having some sunshine today too - and that ours will last until your visit!

Megan

Back at it!

2007-04-09T18:07:00.002-07:00

Hi Megs,

I guessed that Rushka was chewing on Dick Chaney's head - good one Rushka!

Hope you had a nice Easter. We had a snow storm on Easter day. It was colder and we had more snow on Easter than Christmas. Nuts. My garden rabbit got covered! Not so Happy Easter Bunny. My crocuses were up but the also got covered in snow. It is now melting.

The renovations are done! We have cleaned up, put stuff back in the rooms, thrown out about 40 bags of junk, taken a bunch to storage and are we happy to be back to normal. Two weeks of crazy. When we moved here in 1996 it was so rushed, the house in Ottawa sold so fast that we just dumped stuff on the van. While we had done a lot downstairs the upstairs was just as the former owners left it. Now we have made it ours! Feels so good. Here are some pictures.

The Balcony - left and right.

Below left the "elephant bedroom" (New Hope Gray), our bedroom (Davenport Tan), my studio (Seaforth Sage), Dad's study (with Dad in it) (Depot Buff). You can see there is a lot of wood! But it is all so beautiful and warm. Dad's study has cork - with a green tinge. Very soft.

And things are a little less messy in my studio but a lot is going on in there. Love my stuff!

We do love the way it looks. So warm and cozy and once all the wood dust gets out it will really be nice.

Your rug looks "interesting" - a conversation piece for sure. The colours are nice but I guess every T-shirt is not the same.

The Knitting Guild got a total boot out of you knitting a hot water bottle cover! They follow our blog and got a real hoot out of it. Wondered how "old" you were. I mentioned you had a birthday but that is as far as I went. I explained about cold African winters with no central heating. I am sure that San Francisco can be damp and the comfort of a comfortable hot water bottle will be just perfect! You are funny!

And speaking of birthdays - here are your presents - they do exist - I just haven't mailed them yet. I promise I will do it tomorrow. I also included some Easter presents- for next year. There are also some presents for Rushka. I am still looking for the Robe. I have e-mailed Holt Renfrew but have no answer yet.

Now - I cannot believe you fogged your entrelac! Really proud of you. You are your mother's daughter. I have done this so many times (before it was called frogging) when stuff just didn't look right. And well that you did because it will be so much nicer. I find that if I don't do this and finish it with it just not being right that I never wear it, don't even give it away because I don't want to inflict it on someone else, so it goes to the basement and then out in a clothes bag to some poor charity. The kinder thing is to just rip it and get it over with. Like taking a bandage off a cut. Just do it! It looks so much nicer and "right" with the colours making the basket weave. It is just time - and time goes by and you will have either something you hate or something you like. I didn't realize it had a gold line in it. This really comes out in your new version. Really nice yarn.

I just did the same thing with my fourth shawl (of the five I am making for Brazil) I changed yarn and there was just a slight line of change of colour so it frogged over 20 long rows (on the triangle - yikes). The yarn is hand spun so has variations which are nice - but not in a long line. But now it looks so much better. Just hated that line. Then I found a mistake in the garter stitch (can you believe I made a mistake in the GARTER stitch (momentary loss of mind). I didn't "garter" it. So I went down with a rug hook and reworked 8 stitches 13 rows down - one row of stitches at a time. But - not it looks good and I am motivating again!

I have hardly picked up anything else. With the house being so crazy all I had the heart for (and not even that) was the shawls. I did have to drive to Halifax to get a yellow fever needle so I took the entrelac and worked on it while I waited to see if I would die from a reaction to the needle. Nothing happened but I did get a tier done. Had lunch with one of my CP gals, picked out some new light fixtures for the bedrooms & Dad's study (the problem with painting is then other things look seedy) and drove home.

Clay got back home to Toronto from the Barbados and then he DROVE from Toronto to New York with friends. He loved it - has a friend from high school living in Brooklyn - and now is going to renew his efforts to get his US passport. He also may regrow his beard and hair. He needs a change.

We are really looking forward to coming to see you in SF. We have a hotel and noticed that the picture of the lobby has one of those wonderful lamps we "almost" bought in the 70's and have kicked ourselves since then. It keeps coming back to haunt us.

Really feels good to be in my redone studio. My dyeing place is almost done in the basement - electricity is in but no face plates yet. Can't wait until it is done and now that the renovations are done I will have time to get down there.

Take care - see you both soon.

Love ya, Mom, XOP

Happy Easter!

2007-04-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Mom,

Rushka has been at the door, waiting for the Easter bunny to arrive! I don't know what kind of impression she is trying to make, though, since she has decided that the first from our household to greet Peter Rabbit should be her new best friend - can you see who it is?

That's right, it's Dick Cheney! Nathan & I have allowed to keep him around so long as she keeps carrying him around by the head and chewing on his ears every once and a while for good measure...

As you can see the sun is out and the flowers are in bloom so it feels like spring! Well, really, it's sort of felt like spring since February but now we are actually at the point that I have been wearing t-shirts off and on for the past few weeks (when it's not windy, foggy or rainy, that is - this is San Francisco.) My tulips are up and blooming in the window boxes and they look so beautiful:

Sorry to hear that you are being so disrupted by the work on the house, but it will definitely be worth it in the end - if only to give you an opportunity to sort through things like photos of a political rally from 1995! I cannot believe how much Canadian politics have changed - from a new party in Quebec to my old classmate Justin Trudeau running for parliament to Steven Harper actually, illogically, becoming Prime Minister. Right now I am getting most of my news through the podcast Quirky Nomads, hosted by a woman who left California with her family, moving to Canada to get away from Bush. Let's just say she's not impressed with the leader she's ended up with instead!

As for my home projects, I finally finished my t-shirt rug last week after a big push at the end (fueled by the final episodes of Project Runway Season One)

Hmm, it's not quite as neat and pretty, or even the same shape, as the original pictured in the book! All I can say is that she must have 1) had t-shirts that were all EXACTLY the same weave and construction to get all the rows of different colors to be the same width and 2) cut her strips 1" wide and not the 1/2" wide noted in the pattern because 3) her rug is much more square than mine, which has become a runner. My aesthetic crisis with the overall appearance aside, though, the rug is already very popular with Nathan who thinks the garter stitch ridges feel great on his feet. So it is now at home in our kitchen where I can smush it up against the wall and have at least one straight side!

I have also started on my cabled water-bottle cover, dorky though it is. This is coming along nicely even though progress is rather slow. It's not easy knitting this in a splitty cotton blend, particularly with trying to keep the left side of the cables neat and tight. I swatched several times with different methods of wrapping the stitches coming off of the sides of the cable section to try and firm this up but I am somehow inherently loosey goosey. In the end it shows up much less in the actual item than in the swatches, though, so that is some comfort. I think it's pretty at least!

So far I am over half-way done with the first (long) side. I have also managed to avoid loosing my cable needle in the various trains, buses and cafes I have worked on it in so that feels like something! I think I am going to knit the two sides separately, then join them in the round to make the neck (why does Rowan always want you to knit everything in individual tiny pieces? Even socks and mittens!)

Working so much to alternate wrapping styles and tighten up my cable twists, though, did finally offer a flash of insight into the gapping of my entrelac squares on the left edge of my right-side pieces. That, combined with my general displeasure with the color-block effect - by row 26 I found out that I didn't have enough of the original color to finish and would need to add another pink section at the end - led me to make the drastic decision to just take it back and start again.

Yes, that's right, I frogged 25 rows of knitting (Nathan was aghast when he figured out what I was doing), leaving only the cast-on row and some really big balls of yarn:

I have already re-started, alternating the knit-side rows in the original dark color and purl-side rows in the new pink color. With the two colors moving in opposite directions this actually takes much better advantage of the weavin effect that, to my mind, entrelac was designed to emulate:

I am much happier with my Lady E now! And hey, I get to have the joy of knitting it all over again - isn't the knitting supposed to be the fun part?

I hope that you and Dad are able to have a happy Easter, with at least some of the craziness of the renovations in check. We are going to keep it easy here, although I do have an urge to bake a ham after seeing the one that Martha made the other day - it looked too good! It will be just Nathan and I this weekend after a small run of guests. Diane was in the Bay area last week and took Thursday afternoon off from her interrogation duties to explore San Francisco with me. Nathan joined us for a seafood dinner - she even tried the oysters, which I give her major credit for!

Then Glenn was in town from Sunday to Wednesday for business meetings (we had a great steak dinner with his boss from Mitsubishi that I think I am still full from 4 days later) One of the things they were checking out were the inroads of rice crackers on store shelves in the area - yes, that's right, the same kind rice crackers that you buy trayloads at a time! (Theirs by the way are the Mr. Christies ones in a box) Apparently they are really popular in Canada and Australia but they can't get the store presence they want in the US. After reminiscing about your tuna fish salad on seaweed flavored crackers, Glenn & Nathan gathered for me all the necessary ingredients (the sweet pickles were the hardest part to find). So that is what I think I am going to go make myself for lunch!

Hope you & Dad have a great day -

Megan

Quebec

2007-03-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Megs,

A little short post - this has been on my mind. Don't know if the news has reached the US or if they even care, but Quebec had a major political shake-up this week. They have their first minority government is 180 years and the separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ) came if last of the three parties. The Liberals hung on to power but a new party, Action's démocratique du Québec (ADQ) are "autonomist" within Canada (whatever that means) is the Official Opposition. They are lead by a young guy (relatively speaking ) Mario Dumont. In the picture Premier Jean Charest (big picture), Liberal, Mario Dumont (top right), ADQ, and Andre Boisclair (bottom right) of the PQ. The Liberals got 125 seats, the ADQ, 41 and the PQ 36. Interesting times in Quebec.

When going through the old pictures (in preparation for putting in the hardwood) I came across these pictures of the rally in Montreal before the Yes/No vote for Quebec Sovereignty in 1995 (12 years ago - yikes!). A group of us from the Ottawa Board of Eduction went up with pictures and letters from the children at First Avenue School. We found a good tree and strung them on the tree (I am wearing Dad's old red jacket - still have it). We had a lot of wonderful conversations that day - in both official languages - with some translation. It was a very moving experience - one I will always remember.

As you remember, the NO only won by 51%. Could have been a very different Canada. With this election - things will be settled for a little while - a good thing for Canada, particularly Atlantic Canada that would have been disconnected from the rest had the YES vote passed. I guess I am in a reflective mood - this was - and is important.

Love ya, Mom, XOP