Retreat Progress
Quilt retreat weekend was fun and productive. I quilted all but the top and bottom borders of the basket quilt. I decided to quilt bishop's fan in those area and my template was at home so I didn't quite finish. For me, the decisions are sometimes the hardest part of the quilting process so I was fine with waiting to finish after I had finalized the quilting plan.
The daisy vines in the narrow strips make be very happy. I'll take some better pictures when I have a finished quilt.
I also started another quilt using my solid fabric stash and scraps. I currently plan to make this one big enough for my queen size bed. We'll see how long that lasts. I think I'll need about 400 of these blocks. I made 53 this weekend. But as M pointed out I make about 3 months worth of progress during a retreat weekend.
The sewing machine was having some tension troubles with the free motion quilting so I took it to the shop today to be cleaned and tuned. I sure hope they can get it cleaned and tightened up for good quilting. Today I cut some more solid fabric squares for the new quilt so I'll be ready to sew when the machine comes home.
Pinned and Packed
I am pinned, packed, and ready to go. This weekend I will be attending a quilt retreat with my local quilt group and I'm really looking forward to it. I have not been on this annual retreat since I was pregnant with little Miss Petunia.
P helped me pin baste the basket quilt from my fall quilt retreat. I keep telling myself that I need to finish some older projects before starting something new. I hope to get this quilted.
I have my suitcase of scraps and my collection of solid fabrics packed as well as a couple of knitting projects. You'd think I was planning to be gone for a month.
Have a great weekend.
Earth Day
The coming of Earth Day has had me thinking. It is like a New Years Day for the environment. I look back at how we are living and the choices we make in our daily life. Are we living responsibly? Are weliving sustainably? What legacy are we leaving for our children and grandchildren? This is a time to assess and perhaps set new goals.
I like to think my family is doing a good job but I know we can do more.
We have cut back a lot on our meat consumption and grow much of our own fruit and vegetables.
We heat our home with a renewable fuel (corn) purchased from a farm less than two miles from our house.In the last twenty years we have planted hundreds and hundreds of trees on our property.
We wash dishes by hand.
We are using some salvaged materials in the renovation of our house, our new toilets will be low water use, and we have switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
My dislike of shopping is also a big plus. We are not big consumers.
Shopping at thrift stores and repairing items that are old and worn out are also good strategies.
Things to work on:
Avoid bottled water. This is not a habit but with better planning we could eliminate the use of disposable water bottles when we are away from home.
Drive the car less. Combine trips to town and do errands in groups. Some errands really can wait until another day.
Use the clothesline more. I do like to use the line but I will try to take better advantage of good days for laundry and try to use the line more on chilly days even if I have to pin the clothes while wearing gloves.
Plant a little more variety in our garden.
Be more diligent about eating local food.
Dress warm in the winter - (I'll have to knit wool sweaters and socks preferably from locally grow sheep or alpacas)
Put in rainwater collection and storage system that will collect from the big barn roof.
And, maybe, someday, we'll put up a windmill.
As I look over this list I notice several things. Environmentally responsible choices are usually less expensive and healthier choices.
They also tend to help the local population. It is a win, win, win plan.
Here are a few interesting links:
Great Pacific Garbage Patch350 - The most important number on the planet and an action plan.
How much water does it take to make...
I had already read much of this information before but this one was new to me:
"Individual Bottled Water This irony shouldn't be lost on anyone: it takes 1.85 gallons of water to manufacture the plastic for the bottle in the average commercial bottle of water."
This is just crazy and must be part of the reason Oberlin has eliminated the sales of water bottles.
Here are a couple of films I highly recommend:
Manufactured Landscapes, a documentary on the world and work of renowned artist Edward Burtynsky, is a beautiful yet thought provoking film.
Rivers and Tides, a film with Andy Goldsworthy, will inspire you with new ways to appreciate your natural surroundings.
--What are your favorite sustainable living tips?
In the Pink
We are really savoring the spring show around here.
I hope you are able to enjoy some natural wonders this week.
Thoughtful Sunday
"It's nearly as difficult to stay beautiful as it is to become so."
The Wonderful Farm, Marcel Ayme, 1951.
Spring Transition
Spring means clothes dried outside on the line,
playing in the dirt,
planting,
and tending the gardens,
and generally spending a lot more time outside.
An early bedtime for small children is not to be seen again until fall.
Thoughtful Sunday
"Such long, blue, sunny days they were, too, and, as happens in northern places where seasons are short, all the flowers seemed to be trying to bloom at once."
Hitty Her First Hundred Years, Rachel Field, 1929
Sock Knitting
There has been a bit of sock knitting going on around here. I finished up these quick knit socks for myself using yarn from my stash. It does feel good to use yarn that has been aging for a few years. They are knit with Artyarns Supermerino. I used size 2.5 needles (3mm) and zipped through the knitting. The toe up pattern and allowed me to use up all but a few inches of the two 104 yard skeins that I had. There was no guessing when to start the heel and fearing I would run out of yarn before reaching the toe.
Last night I started a pair of socks for B out of some stash yarn. 40 stitches on size 4 needles should also go quickly.
And then there are these, my next original design.
I knew that I wanted subtle cables to weave themselves around the leg.I searched all of my books for a stitch pattern and couldn't find onethat did what I wanted so I made one up. Some one else probably has made it up before but I have never seen anything just like it and I have a lot of books.
I have started over a few times to get the gauge to work evenly between the ribbing and the cable pattern. I knit the ribbing on size 0needles and switched to size 2 for the cable pattern. I really like the way they are turning out.
Today we are having a beautiful sunny, breezy day and the garden is calling for attention. I am off to spend some time in the garden.
Estonian Sheep Puppet
The Estonian Sheep Puppet is finished!
This was a fun and fairly quick project. I used Dale of Norway baby Ull and size 0 needles. The result was a smaller puppet than the one in the pattern but it fits Miss Petunia's hand perfectly.
I wasn't sure I was keeping a good even tension on the color designwith the double pointed needles, especially in the tiny arms, but theblocking really made a difference in the finished look. A plasticEaster egg was perfect for blocking the face.
P thinks it turned out pretty cute and so do I.
Grandma's House
I thought you might enjoy some of P's photos from her visit at Grandma's house.
A Day (or two) at the Beach
We had a great spring break week with B's mom. We saw some sights near her home, relaxed around her house, and when the weather got warm and sunny we made a quick overnight trip to the shore to visit Chincoteaue National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island.
It was quite lovely and relaxing.
I think everyone enjoyed themselves.
Vacations are great but is is also good to be home.
Thoughtful Sunday
(Photo by P)
"A dream is to look at the night and see things"
A Hole is to Dig, Ruth Krauss, 1952.
Vacation Knitting
Our spring break trip has been fun and relaxing. We have been staying at my Mother-in-law's and taking in a few sights. Yesterday we had a wet tour of the cherry blossoms in DC.
A relaxing vacation means I have had a bit of knitting time. I finished D's socks in the car.
I brought yarn for some projects I have been wanting to try but didn't want to start them until the smocking on P's Olympic knitting dress was finished. I have to admit that the smocking part of this project was not my favorite. In a fit of frustration I said "M, I'll give you ten dollars if you finish smocking this dress." I was teasing but he actually took me up on it! I gave him a little tutorial and off he went!
That allowed me to start a pair of pink socks for myself. I am trying Judy Gibson's You're Putting Me On socks. I really like this pattern.
The first sock is almost finished now! Larger needles and yarn make for quick sock knitting.
I have also started one of these super cute Estonian Sheep puppets that have been on my knit list since I got summer 2006 issue of Spin Off.
It's time to get back to the knitting. I hear the needles and a bowl of ice cream calling me!
Thoughtful Sunday
"'Nature need not be improved upon,' she used to say..."
Hitty Her First Hundred Years, Rachel Field, 1929
Through the Eyes of a Child
P was thrilled to be allowed to use my point and shoot camera yesterday.
She took 250 photos! Many of them were out of focus because she was moving on to take the next picture as she pressed the button. It was really fun to watch her walk around the house and yard taking pictures.
I really enjoyed seeing what she chose to photograph.
Everyday objects through a child's eyes.
I am looking forward to more of her photos!
Beach Glass and Seaweed Socks
My Beach Glass and Seaweed Sock pattern is available in my shop.This is the first time I have written out a pattern in an official way for others to purchase. Coming up with the design was the easy part.
I had fun with the design and was pleased to get the ribbing to transition into the easy-to-memorize four row pattern repeat.
Putting the pattern into words so that other knitters can repeat the design came next. The biggest challenge, however, seemed to be getting the pattern into PDF format for easy download.Thanks to Adele, who test knit the pattern and helped with the technical writing and D for making the PDF conversion after I spent hours on it and couldn't get the formatting the way I wanted. Thanks to M for taking the great photos for the pattern and Barb for the name.
Thanks also to P and B who helped with the first photo shoot that really didn't work out very well.
And while I'm at it I should thank my mother and grandmother for teaching me the love of needlework.
Photo shoots can be fun!
Actually, I enjoyed the process so much that another design is already under way.
Thoughtful Sunday
"'Spring, Spring, Spring!' sang the frog.'Spring!' said the groundhog.'Spring, Spring, Spring!' sang the robin.It was Spring."
Home for a Bunny, Margaret Wise Brown, 1961.
Savoring the Sun
The warmer, sunny weather has been a welcome change.
We are off to soak up some more sun. I hear it is supposed to snow again this weekend.
Brighter Days
We have been busy around here lately. Last night P's preschool performed the 3 Piggy Opera. Oh, my what a sweet performance that was!
M was up in the wee hours of the morning to head out to Detroit. He and a few others from the House Orchestra were live on the radio (WJR) from6 to 7 this morning. I, however, slept right through it. I am hoping WJR will have it available on their website. Tonight he and a few friends will be performing at the local pizza place.
This morning I went went bowling with P's preschool class. I love how preschoolers are not worried about form. They are happy just to get the ball to go the length of the lane!
We have enjoyed two beautiful days of sunshine and blue skies. How wonderful it is to be outside without the full winter armor.
I hope you are enjoying some brighter days too.
Ah, spring is in the air.
