Just coz they're cute

Joe's dogs...

A Most unique gift from my Mom

I don't know what this is. I love it, but I'm clueless as to it's purpose.
I suspect that my Mom didn't know what it was when she bought it for me, but she was probably pretty sure that I would love it. And I do.
It's some sort of wood and it appears that it's been hollowed out by hand.
It's is almost 2 feet tall and about a foot across the top.
If I turn it over, it looks like the stump of a not-so-small-tree.
In the spirit of the Yarn Harlot, I will use it to stash yarn.

Awesome -- it holds about 10 big ball and many little balls.

More wood and knitting

DH made me these lovely needles out of purpleheart wood.

Sock for me that have been on the needle for weeks...

Super chunky scarf for DD

Most wonderful woodworking

TJay built a pretty large wine rack and is getting fancy with the top of it.

I think this is called intarsia.

I have a little trouble distinguishing between intarsia, marquetry and inlay...

The grapes are purpleheart

The leaves are poplar

The vines are black walnut

And the base is oak.

More socks

More socks for TJay.

Chunky yarn is awesome when your DH has feet like Sasquatch. :)

And there was enough left for a hat.

Pleze to give belly rubbins?

November is Art Every Day Month -- November 3

My first pair of knit socks (for Hubby) are done! These are knit in worsted wool, not sock yarn -- he wanted heavy socks...

November is Art Every Day Month -- November 2

Finished up this wall hanging for my Cousin Inge. Ready to send!

November is Art Every Day Month -- November 1

Finally got this baby pinned. TJay had to move all the furniture out of the kitchen, and he helped me tape down the backing and lay out the batting and top. A few hundred safety pins later...my knees are killing me! Ouch!

Dixie's Tupperware Party

My sweet daughter took me out for my birthday. We went out to dinner at the Southside in Tremont (best mussels - yum!) and then to see the "one woman" show -- 'Dixies Tupperware Party.'

I laughed so hard that I cried! We had such a blast!

Brandy and Dixie

Me and Dixie

October 8th painting

Got so excited about the kiln that I forgot to post the painting...oops!

Oil on board -- about 6 x 9

Yay

My birthday gift from my Honeybun!

+ 6 shelves and a box of furniture and cones

And a box of glazes

Now all I need is an electician... :)

Daily painting #4

Oil on board, about 6 x 8

Daily painting #3

About 6 x 7
Oils

Daily painting #2

This painting is like a string around my finger, reminding me that I've got 30 gallons of vino that needs to be bottled. Red zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnet, and riesling. Yum.

Start washing the damn bottles already!

Yay for Halloween!

Daily painting #1

End of Summer

Oils, 6 x 9.5

I can see I'll have to fight the urge to keep fiddling with these little paintings. It's been a while since I worked in oils and it's so different than my speedy-dry acrylics!

It is almost 6 months to the day since we brought my Uncle John home from the nursing home. Caregiving is not what I thought it would be. (yes, yes, yes -- I know -- some of you tried to warn me!) I did not expect the emotional toll to be so high -- pull up to the booth and throw your life and heart and soul and creativity into the basket, please. This is one seriously high-priced highway...
If it weren't for TJay and Joe, I'd have cracked up no time. (I've been on the edge a few times, I think)
I miss the city and my friends and my freedom.
I sat outside chain-smoking this evening and watched the clouds pass in front of the moon and decided that I can't let anymore of myself slip away like those clouds.
So I've prepped about 100 little boards with gesso and laid out a palette and oil paints. My goal is to make one small painting each day, until it feels right again.

I'm going to post the paintings here.

If I slack, somebody call me out on it okay?

Why I'm not posting...

We are moving. Ugh.
12+ years of stuff in this house. You accumulate a lot of crap in that time...
My painting studio, my fiber studio, TJay's wood shop, my clay/cement studio plus all of the 'normal' stuff in a household. and a couple thousand books and about 300 paintings and sculptures.
And wine...much, much wine. :)

Sheesh -- I'm tired!

Walk in the snow at Edgewater Park

I went for a walk today on the beach with Buck and Alexandria. It was a really pretty, sunny afternoon. Most of the snow is dirty and icky now, but not at the beach.

From the parking lot above the beach.

That little skinny blue stripe at the horizon -- open water.

Alex and Buck walking to Canada, eh?

The ice is the easiest place to walk, less snow.

Much more snow here on the beach

Buck was lovin' it, but looked really goofy running in it -- he was all floppy-legs

Ice damage to the piers

Downtown view from the beach.

Yes, we can...

President Barack Obama!

Mission accomplished

Last night I finished TJay's scarf and then turned to learning this sock thing. Yay!

Bucky rolled in a ball in front of TJays scarf.

Everything round is starting to look like big balls of yarn...

.

I had an episode of Knitty Gritty on the DVR that featured ConnieA showing how to knit these gorgeous lacy socks from the toe up. That woman is the queen of socks!! You can see her yummy socks at http://www.knitanon.com/blog/

I'm not going to attempt the lacy part yet, but I think I like the toe up thing. She cast on onto two dpns with a figure-eight and that was really easy... (okay -- that's not quite accurate -- I had to back up the recording 2 or three {six} times) but I got it! Then you k2, m1, knit to the next-to-last one, m1 and k1. Turn and repeat. Then, (and this was srsly tricky for me) you divide your (now) 20 stitches onto 4 needles. Actually it was a nice transition. I liked that I didn't have to juggle 5 needles from the very start. After that you just knit all the way around one row, then do another row with the increases and repeat that however many time. It was fun and I actually have something that is recognizable as the toe of a sock. Way cool!!

My first toe!!

I think I'm going to love knitting socks.

:D

Today, I have a plan

I need to finish this for Tjay...

So I can continue with my 'learning sock'...

And start reading this

My most awesome present from Buck the dog

(in preparation for that little online sock yarn binge I went on last week)

Along with finishing the Twisted Sister book and Sensational Socks...

Yummy package

I just got my first order from The Loopy Ewe. http://www.theloopyewe.com/
I ordered it Thursday and it was here when I woke up this morning. It some lovely Lorna's Laces sport weight yarn. 400 yards of scrumptious! It is so very beautiful.

'Vera'

And they sent a couple of samples to tempt me (like that's so hard to do...) and 3 nifty little needle inventory cards. I just love lagniappe. :)
I'm going to put on my gnome hat and do a needle inventory!

I should have stuck with knitting today

I tried felting (fulling) the GIANT hat today.
I started in the kitchen sink -- hot water, a little soap, agitation.
Nothing.
Did it again.
Nothing again.
Decided to try the washing machine. Threw it in a pillowcase and tossed it in the washer.
5 minutes...nothing.
10 minutes---YIKES!!!!
Before felting it reached my shoulder -- it almost reached my armpits, for cryin' out loud!
It was THAT big!
Now it doesn't even reach my ears. :(
I had to really yank on it to get it over any part of my head...

Look, I'm a garden gnome! Ackkk!

Alex got a good laugh out of it when she picked up Buck.

She said it looks like a dunce cap.

Also that I could fill it with felted fruit and use it as a cornucopia.

Or put a handle on it an make a really ugly-shaped purse.

Or cut it up into smaller purses -- I have some of this yarn left to make felted handles...

Sigh...

On a happier note, here's Dexter the Dark Defender at the Duck

-8 F

It's a very pretty day.
Sparkly snow, sunshine, bright blue sky...
When I woke up today it was Minus. 8. Degrees. At 10 in the morning.
Screw it. Pretty is over-rated.
I'm not leaving the house.
If you need me -- I'll be knittig -- or spinning.

Knitting

Inspired by all the great knitty blogs, I tackled something besides a scarf. Everyone got scarves for the holidays, even three dogs. Many, many scarves. Time to move on, be brave, reach for the stars! Or at least smaller needles...for a hat!
I have socks on the needles too, since I've been buying all this awesome sock yarn, I figured I should actually learn to knit socks. I got the Twisted Sisters sock book and fell in love with all the beautiful socks. They all look so snuggly!

This colorway is called sand and sea. I'm knitting my first hat. A really fun, long hat that will flop over and hang to my shoulder with a pom-pom on the end. (OMG -- it's a gnome hat!)The pattern confused me, because it said I could use any yarn and any needles. Just figure out your gauge and there's a chart that tells you how many to cast on. Really, I think I needed less options than that...

Here's the fabric after blocking (another first for me)


While the hat was drying, I started a scarf for TJay with this crazy-thick yarn. Only 4 WPI!

The gauge? One and a half stitches per inch... (think this will go fast?)

Then I sewed up the seam in my hat. It may fit the Incredible Hulk...sigh.
Okay -- at least it's wool.
I guess I can wash it in hot water and make a felted hat...
Bummer.

Snow -- lots of snow

Got about a foot of snow. Really pretty dry fluffy snow. I went for a hour long walk with Buck and Alex. It was so hushed and peaceful.

See those people? They are playing football. No -- I'm sorry, I don't know why.

With Buck, in the park, looking for squirrels.

The feeder TJay built

Where I stood Saturday, after that walk.

My small salute to Fiber Artysta. :)

http://fibraartysta.blogspot.com/