Caty's Scarf

Caty's scarf is finally finished.I love this wool from Sanguine Gryphon. The only down side to this project is there just isn't enough. The color is amazing and the fiber feels wonderful next to your skin. But there isn't enough in the skein to make a nice long scarf. She said she loved it anyway and declared it perfect.






Doesn't it look pretty on her?



This last one is the most correct color wise.



And this... (remember from the last post)
has become this...

a cabled chemo cap for one of Catydid's professors.

I am happy with the design but not sure about the yarn. It maybe a little too scratchy for her delicate skin. I think I will put a note in letting her know I am not happy with the yarn and will knit her something softer if this doesn't work.

Almost finished with a pair of Noro Sock yarn socks. Just a simple k3,p1 pattern. Didn't want anything too crazy as the yarn is sooo patterned. I haven't washed the first finished sock so I am counting on all of you who said this yarn softens up when washed, because it is incredibly scratchy and stiff right now. But I love the colors and am working on a design for the second skein which has more blues, greens, purples and pinks. Caty is already calling dibs on this pair.


I have been working on her Fair Isle vest and zeroing in on the shoulders. One more pattern repeat and bob's your uncle.

Then I have two Christmas stockings I agreed to knit by November. What was I thinking? I don't like knitting these things. No, that's too mild, I despise knitting these things. They are intarsia and with acrylic yarn. Need I say more?. I have to learn how to say no. This also brings up the question of what my work is worth. I would love to charge her $90 a piece so I won't ever have to make them again. (She has asked every year for the last 4years, right before Christmas, so I guess we are making progress that she got them to mein September). But I am sure she will choke at this price. I do think my effort is worth this much. I spend the whole time knitting them thinking about all the fun knitting I could be doing. Not too many happy thoughts knit into these suckers.

I am getting too old and life is too short to spend anytime knitting things I don't love.

Have a great day.

Morning Glories

What an amazing shade of blue...and look how the light seems to shine from the center of the bloom.







I love morning glories. They are one of the few flowers that has an absolutely true blue color to it's blossoms.

This is also a shot of my gorgeous new Walpole Woodworks arbor, which was a Mother's Day gift last year. I have planted New Dawn roses on either side and two dark blue, purply clematis. My husband insisted I only plant morning glories because he doesn't want to obscure the beauty of the arbor under rose bushes. I planted the morning glories to appease him this year and I have to admit we have been enjoying them. I hope the roses do well here though because I love roses over an arbor.


There has been jerky knitting as I careen from one idea to another. I love the thought of snuggling in for the Fall with a few big projects so I am hoping to finish up some little ones first.

DD#1 has a young professor who was just diagnosed with breast cancer. When they returned to school in August Catydid was shocked when she walked into studio. She had started chemo and had lost all her hair. Catydid called and asked me to knit her a hat as she didn't seem to have anything to keep her head warm. I found 3 skeins of Plymouth Suri Merino and have begun the following panel of twisted knitting. When this strip is 20" long I will sew the two short ends together and pick up stitches along one long edge for the top of the hat. I am very happy with the design so far. The twisted stitches are laying flat just the way I envisioned them. My only concern now is that the yarn is scratchier than I wanted. I hope it is not too irritating to her delicate skin.



This is a scarf I am making for Catydid out of a wonderful sock yarn from Sanguine Gryphon. Wonderful greens and browns, she loves the colors. I am a little worried that I won't be able to make a long enough scarf as I don't have much yardage left. Will hope for lots of growth in the blocking. and that it will bloom into the lovely lace I am imaging.

Also working on a pair of Noro sock yarn socks, don't know who the recipient will be but they look very nice right now. There is lots of yardage in these skeins which is wonderful for a change.

I am also trying to finish up Catydid's v-neck Fair Isle vest. I have reached the underarms so things should fly soon. I'll keep you posted.

Selma Ensemble

Thought you might like to see the whole Selma Ensemble all finished and ready for mailing. Now I just have to find more Sweet Tarts to gift her mom and dad. Can't keep those things in the house.




Have a great weekend everyone!

Sweet Tarts, Anyone?

Doesn't this remind you of Sweet Tarts? This was last month's Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock That Rock Lightweight Sock club offering. They even included Sweet Tarts in the package. Knowing no one in the family would be interested in "Goody Goody" colored socks, I made a baby blanket for a very good friend's first grandchild...Selma Grace, welcome to the world. ( I also included Sweet Tarts in the package for mom and dad, the originals are of course all gone.)



Her blankie took 2.5 skeins of "Goody, Goody" Which was ordered one skein at a time because I was sure I had enough each time. It appears I am a very optimistic girl .

While I waited for the second and then the third skein of STR to arrive I also started my version of Baby Mine with 100% Superwash Merino Heavyweight in Color: Quilla. I loved the one the Yarn Harlot designed for Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I think it was loosely based on EZ's February sweater and so I did my own thing. Knitting it from the bottom up rather than the top down as EZ does. These are shots of it blocking. I also have a hat started to match the little sweater.





The hat should be done tomorrow and then I will have the great reveal of the whole ensemble.

My girls are laughing at me about what their little ones will be sporting if I make all this for a mother I only know peripherally. Actually, she is the older sister of their best friends (yes, sisters are best friends with sisters, and all members of the 4-H... to butcher a great Dixie Chicks song.). She is a baby doll with the most sparkly blue eyes you ever saw. I hope Selma has her mama's eyes.


In other knitting news I began a scarf for DD#1 out of Sanguine Gryphon's wonderful sock yarn. This is an awful picture but the scarf looks lovely. It is actually quite beautiful and DD#1 wants it finished soon.

She is feeling very left out because look what I finished for DD#2.


Tah Dah!!!...Tangled Yoke. I love this sweater and if I continue to lose more weight there will be one in my future. I love the Felted Tweed I used for this and DD#2 was very pleased. Hardly took it off before heading back to college, and there were some very hot days in August before she left. Including the day of the photo shoot. Doesn't she look pretty?






DD#2 also went on a little shopping excursion with me to Knit One in Pittsburgh. I was certain I had taken her there before but from the look in her eyes she obviously was a newbie to the wonders of Knit One. After much ohhing and ahhing, many books perused and yarns petted she stumbled on this little number.

One Skein Wonders gloves from Leigh Radford knit in Noro's Taiyo Yarn # 3. I whipped these babies out within 2 days. And DD#1 was screaming for her own pair. And frankly so was I. So more yarn has been purchased and as soon as the Selma ensemble is complete there will be more gloves. They look very arty to me.


The garden looked like a dust bowl until this morning's rain showers. We also have a very fat, happy and smart ground hog, who has avoided all attempts to bring him in alive. But he is doing so much damage to the garden I hate to look. He also must have put out the alert as it seems the deer have figured out a way to jump over the 5' electrified fence and are munching to their hearts content on all my pole beans, lettuce, and onions. Luckily they are not interested in the tomatoes and there are enough bush beans to share if I pick them quickly. Argh!!!

Simple Minded

Very nosy hens checking out the new guys on the block.



and little, baby hens who are sticking together for protection. They are getting along better but it is always a good idea to keep the youngsters separated until they can fend for themselves. The older girls just kind of push them around now, letting them know who is boss. Talk about a pecking order, sheesh!


The glads are looking especially nice this year. These gladiola corms have been in the ground for about 5 years now. I never dig them up and I have armload's of gladiolas every year. I also have some dahlias in this bed in my vegetable garden that return every year. We are zone 5 so I am not sure how this happens but the dahlias must be very happy. This makes me a very happy and lazy gardener. I have never been too good at the whole lifting and storing thing with dahlias. I don't have a garage that stays the right temperature and they always seem to dry up because I forget to mist them over the winter. I have had much more success with this method of storage, although I know it is not correct. So far it is working for me.



I must be the most simple minded person on the planet. I can't tell you how much pleasure I have received from this old wash tub and a ten dollar deer chaser water pump feature. I really want a water feature. I am certainly not water deprived here at Touchstone Farm. We have two very large ponds, two smaller ponds and a lovely swimming pool. You would think that would be enough. Obviously my inner island girl comes out in the summer and I must have water everywhere.


This fills the bill and doesn't make me want to run to the bathroom. It is also great entertainment for one year olds. See, simple minds.




I know I have said how much I love long garden shots of the design of a garden. I still think that way but my garden looks for s#@* right now, and the flowers look amazing up close, so...

Obligatory bloom shots.


Tithonia I started from seed. The plants are about 4 feet tall. I will definitely be starting this again and putting it in a sunnier border next summer.

This is a beautiful day lily, Hemerocallis " Catherine ?" Of course the plant label bleached out before I could record the exact name of this day lily. It is purply and very pretty.


Great Oriental Lillies and the fragrance is to die for.



Hemerocallis "Barbara Mitchell"

OK, I take it back the bloom shots are sexy and oh so pretty.


Girls...look what daddy did this morning.

There will be pie!!!!

Oops

Arghhh! I found them as soon as I posted the last entry. Anyway here are the shots of the newest baby sweater pictures for my friend's daughter's baby boy, Jude. His mother lost a little girl almost a year ago so he really is taking a "sad song and making it better." to quote his grandmother. Mother and baby are doing fine. My friend told me everyone keeps telling them they will be exhausted by the crying. She doesn't think that will every happen, it is a joyous sound to them.

Yarn: Mission Falls Cotton
Needles: Size 5 Turbos
Size 2, Took 2 balls cream, 2 balls black and 1 ball blue, could have used another ball of blue. (Thought patch pockets in blue would have been cute on the front.)




She also told me how important it was when they lost Chloe, their first child, to have the blanket, photos and memory box that the hospital sent home with her daughter.

She said projects like the Wrapped in Care Project are very important to these mothers. Many friends and family donated to the local care project when Tasha lost Chloe and they used this money to buy a new digital camera to take the photos. So money is always useful too.

Welcome to the World, Jude!

2008 Botanical Garden Tour: Part 2

More gratuitous garden pictures from the Botanical Garden Tour 2008.


This is a water locust. The original cutting for this locust is believed to be 2,000 years old. My girlfriend threatened to yank a piece out of the pond and take it home with her. The fact that she doesn't have a pond or water feature of any kind did not distract her. When I warned the police would probably be called she rethought it. Talk about guerrilla gardening.

A very serene Ligonier garden. I have a bench like this, mine sits on my deck looking at the garden. I love the idea of the bench in the garden I just don't imagine real gardeners ever sit in their gardens. But it makes a very nice vignette.

Another very nice water feature. I do love the idea of the waterfall. This one isn't too bad but the hill in the back looks a wee bit suspect, too artificial and man made.

We all fell in love with the turtle with a shaggy haircut. He was a frame filled with sphagnums moss and then poked with various mosses.

A little garden of succulents.

Hilltop is the name of this garden and very appropriate too. This is as close to big sky country as we have in western PA. As someone who lives half way up the mountain and am surrounded by trees these vistas appeal to me. But I am very happy with my little corner of the world (Occasionally the people on top of the mountains run out of well water, that rarely happens at the bottom of the mountain).

This is the view from the back of their house.
This is the view of the back of their house.
There has also been a little knitting. I am also working on something I can't share because it is a surprise.

I have taken the pictures and just spent the last 40 minutes trying to get the pictures from my camera to the file where I can upload them to this blog. Obviously the learning curve with my new camera has me flummoxed and I will get back with the pictures of the baby sweater later.