Archive for September, 2008

Quilting Along

September 10, 2008

We had quite a bit of rain this afternoon.  Is this rainstorm  the remnants of a hurricane also?  This one came rather quickly.  I was sitting out back, happily knitting, when it started to pour.  I have almost finished the contrast band and then it’s on to the dreaded thumb gusset.

I couldn’t decide where to begin on my quilt.  I laid it out flat so that I could get a good overall look at it.  All those diagonal blocks were a bit daunting.  After looking at it for a while, I came up with a plan.  It consists of seven parts.  The main design  is part one through four.  I finished part one last night.  It was the hardest and the most confusing.  I had to stop several times to get my bearings.  Currently, I am half way through part two and it’s easier than part one.  Part three will take a little longer, but should not be as confusing as part one.  Part four should be a piece of cake.  Part five is the inner border.  Part six is the other border which is all half squares and will probably take more time than the inner border.  Part seven is the final binding which will also drive me crazy.

I am sorry for forgetting to include a picture of Mary yesterday.  Thanks Christine.

Great Blue Heron

September 9, 2008
Michael

Michael

Both Mary and Michael showed up while I was outside knitting.  Michael came by in the morning and Mary came late in the afternoon.  I was sewing around noon so I don’t know if they saw each other.  Herons are pretty solitary so I don’t think they did.   

Sunny Sunday

September 8, 2008

Maude is much happier today.  She has been out all day terrorizing the neighborhood which certainly beats terrorizing the inside of my house.  She didn’t even come in to nap.  She was a happy girl.

 

 

 

Otherwise, the day was rather uneventful.  I went to knitting group this afternoon.  I did some quilting this evening.  I may have that sucker done in  a week or so.

Maude and the Rain

September 7, 2008

Maude hates rain and getting wet in general.  It’s all our fault that she had to stay in today.  We let her out on the front porch, but she couldn’t go anywhere.  She sat out there and hollered.  We didn’t want the neighbors to think that we were cat killers so we let her back in.   She got into a lot of trouble inside and was not at all happy.

 

 

 

Zip on the other hand,didn’t mind it at all.

Sock Club

September 6, 2008

I have been getting really nice sock yarn from the club, but the patterns are lacking.  If it weren’t for the great yarn, I would stop.  Since I am not lacking in great sock patterns, I will keep it.  Right now, I have come up with eight patterns that would work well with this yarn.  When I am ready to start them, I’ll make my final decision.  I have to finish my other Sanquhar glove first.  It’s been too hot to work outside for the past few days so very little progress has been made. 

It was a little cooler today, but very humid.  Plus, the septic guy came so I didn’t really want to be outside anyway.  It seemed like a good time to experiment with an orange chiffon cake.  I have a recipe, but it makes a really big cake.  Even with our neighbors coming over, I knew it would be too much.  I wound up making between 5/8 and 2/3 of the recipe.  This is where you look at things out of the corner of your eye and squint a lot, but not so much that you give yourself a headache.   I also made an orange drizzle icing for it.  Everyone pronounced it delicious and ate a bunch, but I still have half of it left.

Cat Help

September 5, 2008

There’s nothing like it when it comes to winding yarn.

Laying down on the job is not for Maude.

 

 

 

 

 

She uses several methods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After all this hard work, it’s time for a nap.

 

 

And here is the end product.  Not bad for a seven pound cat.

Mammogram

September 3, 2008

The grumpy old woman got up this morning and made herself a cup of coffee.  When she finished, she got dressed and went to the clinic for her annual mammogram.  She made sure that she was on time because she received a call the day before requesting that she please be prompt.  When she got to the clinic, she was given a number and told to wait.  A half hour later, her number was called to check her insurance and identification.  Would you have a mammogram for someone else?  Don’t be ridiculous!  It’s good that she brought her knitting.  Finally, she was sent to another room to wait.  A woman came out of nowhere with a mouth dripping so much honey that the room was completely covered with it.  If she said “sweetie” one more time, she was going to get her lights bunched out.  She leads her into a small dark room and gets two bricks out of the freezer.  The whole time she is squishing the life out of her boobs, the honey is going all over the place.   Finally, she is finished.  She turns and says,” What color flower would you like?”  “What?  Is this my prize for being a good little girl?  What do you give out for prostate exams?”  Some days it’s worth it to get up in the morning just to see the look on her face.

One Down–One to Go

September 2, 2008

I finished the little finger on my glove today and even managed to cast on for the right hand.  I made the little finger narrower than the rest.  It has five stitches for the third side instead of nine stitches.  It’s also shorter than it is supposed to be.

I got good stuff in the mail today.  My sock club came.  I like this color much more than the last.  I’ll have to read through the pattern to see if I want to change anything.  I can’t leave anything alone.   Isn’t it a great color?

 

 

I also got my exchange from Autumn.  Are those ruffles adorable?  And check out the sock yarn.  It should make great gloves.  Wait a minute.  I’m getting too cutesy.  Let me go grump at Doug for a minute.  Do you know why old married couples bicker so much?  Because it’s fun. 

 

My books didn’t come, but I wasn’t really expecting them.  I also got a nice check from my dental insurance.  It was maximum for the year and they didn’t question anything.  I hate having to deal with insurance.  They want things the way THEY want it and that’s all there is to it.

Autumn

September 2, 2008

I forgot to mention that Autumn received her socks.  I sent along one of my sock patterns and enough yarn to make her own pair.  I hope it inspires her.   I also sent the rest of the yarn in case something happens.  In exchange, she is sending me something truly unique.  I forgot today is Labor Day hence there was no mail and no sock club kit.  Pook.

Poor Gus.  I had to lock him outside so I could work on pinning my quilt in peace.  You would think he was dying.  It was very nice out there, but he could see me and was not at all happy.  There is not much left to pin.  I should be able to start quilting in a day or two.  And then, I can do SOMETHING ELSE!! 

My first glove is almost done.  I worked on it some today.  I needed to get into a comfortable position for a while after all the pinning.  Can you see my little finger sticking out?

Quilt Police

September 1, 2008

I started pinning my quilt this afternoon.  I went about it all wrong.  The quilt police are probably gathering as we speak.  They’ll take it from me and give it to someone who will quilt it according to the rules and regulations set down by some prima donna two hundred years ago.  I did it in a way that made perfect sence to be.  It worked.  So there.   

Orange Crush Quilt

Orange Crush Quilt

I’m about 3/4 of the way up to the armholes on my sweater.  The sleeves are done so I really shouldn’t be thinking about another sweater yet.  Although I really do like the swatch I made with the yellow, orange, green yarn.  And I’ll be getting my next sock club soon.  AND I still have to make gloves to match my Noro socks.  Remember them?