Ready to Wear

I finally finished the shawl that I began knitting in December. I don't own blocking wires, but after knitting and blocking several shawls I am getting faster at the block out, and I enjoy it now that I've gotten used to the smell of wet wool, which I vividly remember from snowy childhood walks. Well almost...I wear a mask.

What's not to like about this pattern? I love the knit-on edging and the pattern is beautifully written. That makes me wildly happy because a well written pattern makes knitting fun and so much easier, and emphatically states that the designer, in this case, Carolyn, of Carolyn Knits really cares about her product and loves her work!

 You can find my Raverly project page and a few more pics here.

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Think Spring!

Heads up! As you can see, I am thinking about spring.  And since the groundhog didn't see his shadow on February 2nd, I reckon it will happen soon. Ha! Well, officially in 6 weeks... ~ I will leave you with a tip that I read somewhere. To keep the heads on your cut tulips from drooping push a straight pin through the stem a wee bit down from the flower head; remove pin and continue until all tulips have been pierced.  Because tulips like the cold, I drop a few ice cubes into the water now and then as well. P. S.  The envelope I bought for the draw on the  Feb. 15th just needs an address that will be chosen on that day with the help of a random number generator.  Good luck!  Click the GYB post on the sidebar for details. Have A Happy Valentine's Day! ♥ ♥ ♥

Colour Therapy

A recent arrival. What gorgeous colours.

I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome new followers to my blog!  Also, thank you for your lovely comments. I do appreciate your kindness and support. 

And what a great group of talented women I've encountered! I say women because I haven't run across any men yet, but I've  several places left to visit.  It's such a great hop; I've had so much fun and it's not over yet.

Although I've picked up my shawl a few times, I haven't been knitting much lately because I've been busy drawing and painting, but I hope to finish my shawl and post a few pictures within the next two weeks.

In case you do not know about it, the draw for my GYB giveaway is on Feb 15th. It's open to everyone. If you haven't already entered you can do so here.

With the snow piling up outside yet again, I am enjoying the colourful blooms I have inside.

'Til next time...

Spotlight on Byatt

Besides fiction, Byatt  writes poetry and literary criticism.  Rhythm and wit coupled with conflicts that often astound, Byatt, a weaver of  unique novels, peppers her books with facts: historical, scientific, and specifically in the case of The Children's Book performance theatre: i.e puppetry.

While her erudition might lead one to assume that her subject matter only reaches the loft, she often brings to light the shadows that run amok in peoples' lives, including the well-educated, and the gentry who, like the poor, also suffer from poverty, (theirs--moral, spiritual) wrongheadedness and the human condition.

Of course, there are love stories such as Possession in which one character compacted and self- restricted eventually opens to the power of love. And in Babel Tower, a place where language was, in the biblical context, confused by the induction of different tongues, the story is framed by fairy tale   refrains of "it might begin" meaning, possibly, there is no right way into a story, or that the path is as intricate as our lives. But, more than that, it's a brilliant way to introduce character. Babel Tower begins with the story of the thrush; a bird admired in spite of its appetite and its limited tune. Attributes that, at one time or another, we may have noticed and dismissed in others to our peril. It's an intriguing, mysterious and thought provoking "it might begin." And it makes me think of the dark, foreboding woods, but I may have read too many fairy tales. Further, there's also a sense of foreshadowing, things hidden, upheaval and change.  



A.S. Byatt's novels promotes critical thought, educate and are, in the end, among the best books that have been written.  She has won many prizes, including the Booker for Possession and is, rightfully, a contender for the Nobel.

Jacket via Goodreads

Worth the Wait

After searching and not finding a recipe I liked, I almost forgot about making these delectable treats. Recently, I searched again and found a recipe that I thought would work.  So I dug out the new pan that I've been hanging onto since August and flung some flour about (I'm not kidding I painted the floor with it) and voila!  Luckily, and somewhat expansively, (let out the pants) these sweet cakes turned out even better than I hoped.

The added bonus: you can whip up the batter and refrigerate it for up to three days. Because Madelines are always best fresh, I baked the the batter I made over a two days.

Madelines ~ O, so tasty!

Hey, they are small. ☺                                                                        A bloom to brighten the day! Enjoy....

Book Picks of 2014

A New Year. Thank heavens! Although last year was not without good times and deep wells of gratitude, I am happy to begin the new year.

 I didn't keep a full record of the books I read in 2014, but I do have the Kindle list.

While well written, I found a couple of books I read extremely violent. (I'll confess to the unknown, until recently, phenomenon of skipping a few pages.)  However, those works of fiction did deal with historical fact. Another thing I noticed: mistakes in books. The short shrift. What a shame. Imagine having a book published only to find it riddled with errors!

Last year I used my Kindle a lot. Why? Well, it's not because I prefer that medium. It's because around here books have reached critical mass. (Did I say that?)

What's so great about a tangible book? Well, they never run out of steam.  Also, I enjoy the ease of flipping back when prompted by curiosity.  Thoughts like what was that great line? Or, I'd like to read that part again.

Kindle, other gizmos, or the real deal...which do you prefer?

I've picked 4 books for 2014. Two beautifully written re-reads that I own (to have and to hold) and two books that I borrowed from the library.  Generally, I make a few comments, without, I hope, giving away the crux of the story, but in the interest of brevity I've decided it's show time. 

Have a great week!

Contemplating adding this book my critical mass.

On the Cusp of a New Year

I've been loving the sunshine that ripples through the prisms in the morning, creating fiery displays on the floors and walls. The colours are gorgeous. It really brightens up the day!
And outside my window it looks like spring. Over the holidays, we had temps in the teens, and that has made short work of the two feet of snow we had. What a welcome reprieve!

My sketchbooks are getting fuller and I have a few items ready to paint. One 9 x 12 sketch that I am hoping with turn out well with the help of some new paints that arrived the other day. 

On the needles... With the stash dwindling drastically,  I couldn't find enough contrasting yarn to work the stripes in this shawl in another colour, so I've opted for the monochrome look, but I think I have enough navy blue to work the lace edging. If, that is, it doesn't look too stark without the stripes to balance it. Thank you for reading along this year.     Happy New Year!

Good Tidings

After I posted my last post, a foot and a half of snow fluttered down overnight from a heavy sky.  I think that means we will have a white Christmas. 

As you can see in two of the pictures below, besides baking, decorating, caroling, etc., I've been drawing and painting as well.

Lady Slippers ~ a favourite of mine.

So today, with the holidays a little over a week away, I'm just popping in to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. And for those of you who celebrate, do have a wonderful Christmas!

Make merry!

P.S.

If you are as fond of birds as I am, and you do not have a bird feeder, or are curious to see what's happening at other feeders you might want to check out these webcams.
I've been keeping a watchful eye on this one lately.

Still Green

Although I thought the snow was here to stay it disappeared. Great. Why? Because if the snow stays on the ground late in December, spring generally comes early. Predictive? No.  Just an observation, but I've been wrong before. Time will tell. 

I finally toured this old house. It looks bleak/spooky with the black roof and front door.  If you look closely, you will notice a rocking chair in the upstairs window, which adds another layer of spookiness to the place. But the only spooky thing I found in the house was a well in the middle of the kitchen floor. (That's enough, I reckon.) In the late 1800's, I'm sure, an inside well was convenient because no one ( generally the lady of the house) had to brave the elements to haul water from the well, but I couldn't help but think how dangerous a convenience it must have been, especially with a house full of curious children.

My Christmas preparations are coming along. I have a few items out, but only a few and they all seem to be green..

I'm searching for a container for my frosty fern.

Never one to frequent Boxing Day sales, last year I finally went shopping and bought  this cute linen tea towel for a song.

Enjoy...

Enjoying the Moments

Ahead of Schedule ~ Stocking made by me. I bought the cute cinnamon stick Santas.

 

Behind schedule. But I'm certain this eager Amaryllis will catch up almost as soon as its planted.

As you can see, I'm getting into the spirit of things.  Like most people, I have plans for Christmas, and somethings are ahead of schedule and somethings are behind. ( I'll leave my knitting projects for another post.)  These days I've less to do, so I try not to worry too much. If it's not "in the bag" by December 23th, I say who needs it!

I haven't always been this enlightened. I used to get up early on Christmas morning, not only to stuff and cook the biggest turkey in the kingdom, but also to bake rolls, make a fresh sweet potato puff while peeling a mountain of different vegetables, and sometimes I even baked a hot pie or two. In those days, I was a wee bit hidebound and everything and I mean everything (including a spit spot house) had to be "fresh."

Thankfully, I've changed and I try and do things with a bit more ease. I could put it down to laziness, apathy, or age, but I think it's more about enjoying the moments and savoring the good.

Thanks for reading...

Retrospective

Hummingbird moth wings beat over 30 beats a second. My camera couldn't keep up.

Looking back through my pictures, I happened upon a pic of a hummingbird moth that I took this summer, so I thought I'd share it.  Actually, as luck would have it, I saw two hummingbird moths this year. The other one was white and red.
To get this pic I hung out at this butterfly bush for awhile before the moth arrived, but while I waited,  two monarch butterflies swept in for a few sups.

Missing theses beauties; they provided inspiration for this early coloured pencil drawing. on the needles... With snow on the ground and roofs for the second time, (it might stay this time) I decided to  knit something warm:  a cowl from alpaca and I have added mohair for extra warmth. Since alpaca stretches a lot, I'm hoping the mohair will help it retain it's shape.  Recently, while I was reading, I discovered that mohair is the warmest fiber. Who knew?

Thank you so much for your emails with kind comments about my last post.

Enjoy the week...

So Soon

The Fall Guys ~ A motley crew of cuteness.

Pumpkin anyone?  (Pumpkin pics taken last fall at the village.) Halloween is just around the corner, (so soon) so I thought I'd pop in to say have a safe and Happy Halloween! And because they are so cute, I couldn't resist putting up the picture of the "Fall Guys" again this year. I took the picture in Nova Scotia last fall. Finished... On the needles... I know. It's blue.  I only have two balls of blue yarn left in my stash. (Panic!) My knitting has been chewed on twice and stuffed under the coffee table once, but it looks fine. See the "fetching" guilty house guest below.

This and That

When I wasn't looking the picture snatchers tiptoed in and ran off with several of my blog pictures. I have no idea how that happened. Unfortunately, pages of pictures are missing; I've re-added a few posts worth but it's time consuming and tedious.

As you can see from the pictures, I've been painting. I haven't made a lot of progress on my knitting because I'm cat sitting, and Sadie can't resist pouncing on squiggly yarn. If I try and hide my knitting, she climbs up on the arm or the back of the chair and pounces effectively from there. Sadie does have her own yarn but she prefers mine. She is fun to have around, and she can be as busy as a two year old!

Enjoy the week!

Great Shape

Edging ends are so well shaped in this pattern.

I finally finished the Camellia Scarf. I made the largest size so I think it can be defined as a small shawl, but this versatile pattern can be made even larger.  However, I think this size is perfect ~ not too large and not too small.

As an added bonus, the bind off edging for the two ties worked beautifully.  As a matter of fact, it's the best edging I've seen and is part of the charted pattern. That edge, coupled with the Icelandic bind off for the middle section that another Rav knitter recommended, lends this shawl stability, and since I do not own blocking wires, I was thrilled when I started to block the shawl because the edging kept its shape and only required a few pins.

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Drawing board...finis...

Watercolour pencils and ink.

Known as a living fossil a Natalius is a curious creature. Unfortunately after living for millions of years, they are  now on the endangered species list because of their beautiful shells, so I settled for an ammonite fossil and drew another Natalius that I painted the customary red/rusty colour.

And last but by no means least... A very Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!

Treasures

About a month ago I wandered through a few old houses in the village. Even though I've visited several times, I always find something "new."  In order to keep a record, I've decided on a random post here and there to document what I have admired.

To begin with, I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of this beauty. The guide said that it was built in Montreal in the 1700s. I wish I could have jumped the rope to inspect it, but even from a distance it's evident it was treasured. And look at the dishes in the cupboard and the bird prints to the left! 

 ( Yes, I did want to straighten the pictures and whip off the tablecloth so that I could see the table.)

 A beautiful old print. I think it's German. The Roman numerals read 77 ~ likely 1877.

I've ironed with old irons like these.  In case you are a youngster, or haven't seen one of these irons, they are heated on a wood stove and before you begin you run the iron over an old cloth to make sure it won't scorch. The lady that I visited tested the iron by wetting her finger on her tongue and then touching it to the iron. Her name was, Annie. She lived to be a 100 years old! I'm so happy I had the opportunity to spend time with her and her husband, Clinton on their farm (without power) in the woods. I learned a lot from her. She made her own lye soap, churned  butter, etc. Their big house was beautiful and filled to the rafters with antiques and treasures. A perfect paradise inside and out for a curious child. The irons Annie owned, and I was lucky enough to use, had interchangeable handles, so I always had several "irons in the fire."
 

 ~ A neat cornucopia pattern and look at those tin items. The candlestick is pewter.

 

And before I exit stage left, on the needles and nearly finished..

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