Acadia

Last finished spinning of 2008. This is Acadia from Spunky Eclectic. I spun 526 yards from 4 ounces of hand painted Finn.

Riley Barker

Riley and Dh. Riley is 6 years old and a real comfort and delight. But he sheds, there is cocker spaniel hair all over the house. Clean it all up and 15 minutes later you see more. He also brings in large leaves and sticks that get caught in his hair. Still he is worth cleaning up after.

Christmas

The years roll by so fast, can't believe it is Christmas time again. Oldest son and 10 year old grandaughter will be here tomorrow. Happy times.

Backyard visitor

DH took this picture through the kitchen window. The cardinal and his mate visit our birdfeeder every day. He is sitting in a quince bush. It is cold here but no snow. Parts of the country are having bad snow falls, even New Orleans. I never heard of it snowing in New Orleans before.

It is a good day to sit inside and spin.

December apron

The top picture shows the color better. The trim is actually the same color as the red in the print. The print reminds me of the movie The Christmas Story, where the little boy wants a b-b-gun for Christmas. The pattern is McCall's 5643, the Posie's Kitchen version. I like this pattern because it is lined.

Miniature dolls Christmas tree

The picture is not very good but you can get the idea. I love miniature dolls so I decorated a Christmas tree with what I have. The tree is a small table top tree with small white lights.

Found Apron

When looking through my fabric stash I found this old apron. It is a child's apron and I suppose it was mine though I do not remember it. It was obviously well loved and well used. I could not get the stains out and was afraid to wash it in anything strong because it is so old. I still have a cook book that I used as a little girl so this must be what I wore when cooking.

November apron

This print is vegetables so I thought that would be appropriate for Thanksgiving month. I used McCall's pattern M5284. I had the fabrics, just bought the pattern and the rick rack to make the apron.

Now I will make a Christmas apron and I have everything I need for it. One grandaughter will be here so I am looking forward to that.

holly tree

If you enlarge the picture you can see the berries.

Holly Tree

Not very clear picture. This holly tree was knocked down when we had pines cut out. It grew back over several years and this is the first year it has had berries.

Fall Colors

When we left for our trip everything looked dull and brown. When we returned we were greeted by this wonderful fall color. Makes me want to knit with these colors.

Smokey Mountains

After leaving Saff we drove to Raleigh to visit family. Then we came back through the Smokey Mountains. The leaves were beautiful there. We went to Pigeon Forge and bought stone ground cornmeal at the old mill. The next morning we shopped at the Christmas Store in Pigeon Forge, which is always fun.

I have been off the computer because all that traveling and shopping and settling back in when we got home did my back in. But I have been able to knit a little yesterday and today. Tomorrow will hopefully be better.

SAFF treasures

Things I bought at Saff. Two new bobbins for my Kromski spinning wheels. Lavdender sachets.

A sock blank just because I had never used one and love the colors in this. It is easy to knit and feels nice and soft. The roving is all from Whirlwind Ranch. Their alpaca is the softest I have found. The two color rovings spin up beautifully.

We drove up on Friday in pouring rain that lasted all day. But Saturday was beautiful and a great day for fiber fun. Saff gets bigger every year so by Sat. afternoon there was quite a crowd. It was so much fun to see what all the vendors have. I never did get out to see the animals but did see some lovely rabbits.

If you plan to go to this event you need to make hotel reservations two months in advance as they fill up at this time of year.

Dumpling Bag

The pattern is in Fall 2008 Interweave Knits. It is a cute bag but I would rather knit with smaller needles. This uses size 13 needles. Oh, my aching hands.

It is a beautiful fall day. It was 38 degrees this morning, the coolest weather we have had here in Georgia for quite a long time. We actually have the heat on. But the leaves seem to be falling without turning anything except dull brown. We have not had enough rain.

October apron

A good use for some of my fabric stash. I wear aprons for cooking and need some new ones. Ths one has pumpkin fabric for the top trim with 2 cat buttons. I added the pumpkin applique. The pattern is Butterick B4945.

pillow shams

This is a combination of many quilt blocks that I had finished but never done anything with. So I decided to make pillow shams. Fun to do and used up some materials lying around in the way.

My plan is to use lots of the materials I already have for useful projects.

clothespin bag

My friend Linda told me how to make this clothespin bag. It is a little boy's size 5T shirt. Just sew up the bottom and you have a clothespin bag. Cute. Got the shirt at a rummage sale for $2.00.

Pillowcases

I was down to one pillowcase for an odd size pillow that I like on my bed. Since I have a large stash of fabric from sewing and quilting days I decided that I would make new pillowcases using only materials I already had. Success is sweet. The first one is eyelet, the next four are batiste, the last one is flannel. The trims are leftovers from other projects except for the second pillowcase. It has a decorative stitch that is on my sewing machine. This was a fun project and I have several other things in mind to use some of this stash that has been lying around for some time.

Purse for Charley Grace

This is a cute little purse I found on Ravelry. It looked like it needs to be for Charley and I think she will like it. I used Manos del Uraguay in cherry.

Fairy Ring

We went to walk at Ridge Ferry Park and found this fairy ring. I have never seen one before. It is not complete just about a half circle. But the fairies can still dance at night on a half circle. This is a beautiful park with a walking path that runs right along the river.

Another smoke ring

This is my second beaded smoke ring from the pattern by Jackie Erickson-Sweitzer. It is dark grey with red beads. Hope it looks better on my sister in law than it does on the bear.

Finished Scarf

This is Morning Surf Scarf by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer. The pattern is in Spin-Off Summer, 2008. It was fun to make. The yarn is my own handspun merino and tencil.

Reading

I really did not read any outstanding books this month. Life of Pi started off really well but it got so violent and graphic that it was hard to read. I did not like the double ending. I think all that should have been left up to the reader, but I don't want to give any specific details that might ruin the book for someone else. The beginning of the book was quite interesting with the descriptions of life at the zoo and Pi's religious activities. And what follows is just life but as is true in life it is hard to take sometimes.

spinning

This is the yarn from my first Spunky Eclectic fiber. It is lovely soft colors. It would make a beautiful shawl but I only have 300 yards.

Visit from family

My youngest son and his two children have been here for a week's visit. We made this picture at Berry Schools where we saw many deer. We stayed busy all week and had lots of fun. Playing on playgrounds, wading in the creek at Cave Spring, picking tomatoes at the tomato farm, touring Berry, shopping, it was all great. A 3 year old and a 5 year old keep everybody busy. I already miss them so much.

Sorry, that should have been Spunky Eclectic in the last post.

Hot Weather

We are having very hot weather here in Georgia. There are storms and rain but Rome is not getting much of that. It is all around us though. I stay in and spin and knit and read. I am plying the yarn from Crazy Eclectic, reading Life of Pi and knitting a scarf.

Hot Weather

Green and yellow yarn

This is my first finished yarn since my wheel was fixed. It is 80% Merino and 20% Silk. The roving was 4.3 oz. and I made 482 yards with it. Not sure what it will be.

New Roving

My first shipment from the Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club. This is merino/mohair and I love it because the colors are rather subtle. I am wanting to start spinning it but have merino/silk on one wheel and alpaca on the other wheel. Must finish that first.

spinning wheel

My spinning wheel is fixed!! Happy Day. This wheel was broken several months ago. I ordered parts for it and they finally came. DH put the wheel back together for me. So today I get to use my Polonaise again. I love this wheel. I have a Mazurka wheel too and think the Kromski wheels are great.

Reading

Reading is the best thing to do in this hot weather. We are having temperatures in the 90's and will for the next 4 months. Angel at Troublesome Creek by Mignon F. Ballard was a good light mystery. Funny even though murder is involved. The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb was excellent. Set in the Appalachians, it tells a lot of history and has an excellent poem to start it off, Small Farms Disappearing in Tennessee by Kentucky Poet Laureate Jim Wayne Miller. I live in the foothills of the Appalachians and love this area. It is beautiful. Now I will be looking for other books by Sharyn McCrumb.

Death by Sock Wars

Today I was killed with a big BANG. The socks are actually black not green. My picture making skills are sorely lacking today. The socks fit great and I love them. And they were a first pair of socks. Congratulations Trevor.

Tropicana Roses

I have not been taking very good care of my roses. But this one is beautiful anyway. It starts out orange, then fades to yellow, then soft pink. Gorgeous. I think I will go give it a little tender loving care.

Sock Wars

My finished socks for sock wars. The yarn is Tofutsies. I started over 3 times, once when I was on the foot. Finally got them to my satisfaction and will get them in the mail tomorrow. Now I can get back to spinning my Jacob wool and mohair. The weather has been beautiful here in Georgia. We had rain today, which was much needed.

baby blanket

Blocks finished for baby blanket. Now to put them together and make an edging. The 4 corner blocks are the same off white. The color is off in the picture. The first pink block has a heart knit in but it is upside down in the picture.

I just finished reading When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin. The setting is Georgia and it tells a lot about heart transplants around a fictional story. I will probably read other books by this author.

climbing roses

We have three of these climbing roses at the front of the house. They are on the white wrought iron on the front porch. This is such a nice time of the year with things blooming. The pink azalea is blooming right in front of the roses. Yes, pink is my favorite color. I want to get some knockout roses but am debating about red or pink. I need some purple annuals and maybe a few yellow so everything won't be pink.

I am knitting a baby blanket with squares. They are easy to make and I can listen to audio books at the same time.

The Kite Runner

This is a very powerful book, tragic and informative about another culture. If a book makes you think then it is worth reading and this one certainly makes you think.

I am knitting squares for a baby blanket, have about half of them done.

audio books

I just finished listening to Murder Gets A Life by Anne George. It is a murder mystery involving two sisters in their 60's who get involved in solving the mystery. It is set in Birmingham, Al. and is read in a very southern voice. It is entertaining to knit to.

The Zookeeper's Wife

I was rather disappointed in this book by Diane Ackerman. It is just so impersonal. While it does tell what happened to Warsaw and the zoo it does not give any information about Antonina that would make a person identify with her. In the end it says only that she wrote children's books and raised her children, but not how or when she died.

sock bag

This was in with my mother's things. It looks to be from the 1930's or 1940's. It is hand appliqued and embroidered and in very good condition. Wish I knew who made it. It could have been mine when I was little but I do not remember it.

Spring

The crabapple tree in the back yard. This tree was knocked down when we cut out pines. We struggled through the years to save it and it was well worth it. I do miss gardening and would love to plan flowers this spring but my back no longer allows me to do that.

Been away

I have been away from the computer due to the death of my mother. She was 90 years old but that does not make it any easier to lose your mother. I keep thinking of calling her to tell her things that happen, then realize I cannot do that anymore. I have found spinning to be a blessing at this time. Just to sit at the wheel and spin helps to relieve stress. I started a scarf with a really easy lace pattern and it helps to work on that too.

The picture is a baby kimono that I just finished for the great grandbaby. It was an easy knit.

The pattern is in Interweave Knits Summer 2005.

Quilt for baby

This is the finished quilt for great grandbaby, due in June. I finished it this morning.
Have a sinus infection that just started so have had to rest several times today.

Signs of spring

It is a rainy cold day but these flowers look cheerful anyway. I have been talking on the telephone to several family members since I got home from the meeting yesterday so have not done any knitting. But it is great to catch up with family. My cousin's son is in the Peace Corp in Armenia and is visiting Germany right now. We have family roots in Germany on the Battson side of the family but I have been told that the name was not originally Battson. It was changed with immigration to U.S. I would like to know what it was originally.

Saturday Sky

We had a meeting today of our North West Georgia Knitters group. Four of us were there at Barnes & Noble. We talked and worked on our knitting and then went to Panera Bread for lunch and Michael's for shopping. I always enjoy getting together with knitting buddies.

organizing the basement

We have been organizing the basement. Riley is afraid to come down the stairs so he sits at the very top and looks pitiful while we work. We got storage shelves and now all my roving is in plastic boxes and stored together so I can find things easily. We are throwing out stuff and donating stuff and it looks much better but we are not through yet. It feels good to get organized.

Bad Weather

The weather has been terrible here in the Southeast. Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky were hit by tornadoes and 52 people were killed. Many others were injured. The storm went north and south of us here in Rome, Ga. We had rain and heavy winds but no damage.

Hillary Clinton won this county in the primary yesterday but Obama and McCain carried the state. It will be an interesting race for president.

My baby quilt is all put together and ready for quilting.

Reading

Pillars of the Earth is a really interesting book. It has everything, romance, knights in armor, intrigue, building a cathedral, survival, development of the wool industry and many other things. I have always loved reading and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I had to order more yarn for the baby blanket. Since I knew the dye lot would not match I ordered a lighter pink and it looks good with the darker pink. The quilt top is finished, just have to put it together and quilt.

New roving

Isn't this gorgeous. It came in the mail today, ordered from the silkworker. www.thesilkworker.com It is silk and cashmere called Baby Jane. Can't wait to work with this.

Will It Snow?

The weather forecasters are calling for snow. Just like the other day when nothing happened here in Rome. It would be nice to see a little snow but the trouble is we usually have ice and fallen pines that knock down power lines and cause lots of trouble. Wonder what Riley would think of snow. He has never seen it and he really hates rain. He loves to have his bath but does not like to be rained on. I have not seen real snow since I lived in New York in 1963. Well, we have plenty of bread and milk, which is what people around here run to the store to get when the weather is bad.

Cotton Candy

My husband says this roving looks like cotton candy. I am spinning it on my Kromsky Mazurka and it feels much softer after finishing than in the roving. It is merino. It will probably be a scarf with beads since I am really into knitting with beads since my class at the folk school.

Smoke Ring

Finished Smoke Ring. Pattern by Jackie E-S. Yarn is silk and wool, very soft. This was fun to make. It has a few beads around both ends.

Saturday Sky

It was 26 degrees this morning, the warmest in 3 days. It was 16 degrees two days. It is good for the peach crop. And humans, I miss the cold weather we used to have. My hand knit wool socks feel good these days.

Happy New Year

January 1, 2008 Amazing. When I was young living in the 2000s seemed so remote. Now here we are.

My new year's resolution is to use the yarn I have. So many projects could be made from what I already have, several shawls, scarves, sweaters, afghans, and many socks. I could make lots of Christmas presents for this year if I get started now. But I also have a great grandbaby coming in the summer that I want to knit for and I have the yarn for that too. It will be the first great grandchild and I really don 't feel old enough for that. But evidently I am.