Happy Valentine's Day!

Crochet stuffed with lavender, I love the asymmetry of the shape.
Great pattern found on Ravelry.
(You have to join to see the web page)

Pretty morning

Hamamelis 'Arnold's Promise'

I think that the pheasants watch for me to put out the bird seed.
As soon as I step back inside
they seem to come out in a flash
to gather up the droppings from the feeder.

We're getting close. Close to my self-determined date of the return of light. I consider making it to Valentine's Day, with sanity intact, as the date when the length of daylight is no longer an issue, and when I breathe a sigh of relief. By then I no longer subconsciously complain about the grimness of the northern winter. By then there is a sufficient amount of daylight to quell any longing to go south. And just at this pivotal point in the earth's rotation a lovely dusting of snow reminds of winter's renewed grip. Yesterday, while tidying up in the garden, I found crocus pushing up through the surface of the earth with tight buds. Soon the vast expanse of purple petals will be here. Those guys are such prolific reproducers. I don't mind one little bit that they have spread all over the garden.

Hooked

All of the patterns in Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts Lacy Crochet are lovely. This is the first time I have followed a charted crochet pattern. It was fun and I will definitely make more patterns from this book.

On the Needles

I'm trying to use up yarn in my stash.
This Rowan pattern, called River, is a light airy shawl.
I'm using a mohair yarn that just happens to be the same color as the pattern photo.
They call the color smoke in the specifications.
True to the name it seems to disappear.
I love watching the pattern evolve with each row created.
This will be one soft wrap, but not quite as diaphanous as the yarn specified in the pattern.

Friandes aux amandes

For our celebratory inaugural dinner I made friandes aux amandes in mini muffin tins, easter egg tins and shell tins. It was quite an assortment of shapes. Next time I'll make them in madeline tins. I am in love with the shell pan. I finally figured out how to make the cakes slip out easily after they are baked. I have had some disastrous madeline bakings in the past where, after all the preparation, they were cemented into the pans. Grrr! These were lovely cakes however. I am in love with this delicate recipe. They would be perfect for a tea party.

Happy Inauguration Day!

Yeay!

Happy Day!
Cheers!
Good luck and Best Wishes Mr. President

Sunrise to a New Time

Due to the policies of the outgoing administration I have been ashamed to be an American for nearly a decade. My children have not known much of before all the mess that has been wrought upon the American image. After all the foreign policy catastrophes, although I have to grant the benevolent aid to earthquake and tsunami ridden regions of the farthest reaches of the world and AIDS help as exceptions, the policies of rewarding the crony rich and powerful with further riches, of lowering standards for environmental quality and enabling pollution to increase, to condoning torture, the callous disregard for the lives of our military personnel, to dismissing the Constitution, and the willful neglect of a glorious drowned city to name just a few instances, it is hard to believe that a new day is dawning tomorrow.

The dream of an intelligent thoughtful, considering, engaging President seemed a lofty goal and a steep hill to climb towards success. How could our country have re-elected such a bumbling idiot to a second term? It just further shamed me. Where would the country and the world have been if the Supreme Court had not handed the presidency to 43? I wonder if the depths of our condition had been widely different under a Gore presidency would the rise of 44 have been possible? Could it be that you have to reach rock bottom before enlightenment can occur to a nation? It's amazing to me that it took the emptiness of one's own purse to change the pulse of American contentment. That moment of gaze into that open purse couldn't have come at a better time. We are verged on a precipice and need the strongest leadership imaginable to convert the wrongs to goodness, health, fairness, transparency and peace. It is still so hard to believe that the country chose wisely after not such a good track record of many years.

I am in joy today. I am in joy with anticipation. I am an American again. I will proudly display my flags tomorrow. I embrace a new era. What a contrast of images, and worlds, between the sneer of the outgoing VP to the giddy gorgeous girls of the new President. The image of those lovely girls portends a glorious new beginning of possibilities for our own children and children throughout the world. I wish you good luck in your new job Mr. President. Thank you for stepping up when we needed you most!

Finished!

Knitting the last stitch of a sweater is exciting indeed. But it is far from finished at that state. There is all the weaving in of the yarn ends, then blocking and then sewing up all the pieces. This pattern was constructed far differently than other sweaters that I have made. The fronts and back were knit at the same time on a circular needle, while the pattern demarcates a side line or division between the vertical stitches of the back from the diagonal stitches of the fronts. The only seams were for the sleeves. The yarn is very soft, Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora, and the pattern is called Jess by Debbie Bliss. The pattern is pretty frumpy but will be a good throw on sweater for the spring. Yeay it is done!!! Now on to finish another sweater that doesn't have much further to go.

Needle Felting

Here's the latest needle felting project... an attempt at a Rufous Hummingbird.
I'd like to try to make lots of little birds.

Here's another photo from a few nights ago.
Ahh the quilting of snow.

Something New

I'm going to try something new this year. We'll see how long it lasts. Each week I am going to quote something that I have read that just gets to me, makes me dream, makes me laugh or inspires me. This week's quote comes from the travel section of The New York Times article about Banff National Park, a place that I have long wanted to visit. Under a two page wide photograph of a single ice skater on frozen Lake Louise buried in the story reads:

"In the waning hours of the day, the town of Banff is lovely. The sun takes its time sinking into the west, and the deepening indigo of the sky limns the surrounding mountains with startling clarity." --Matt Gross

He hooked me. I want to go right now.

Back home on late Sunday night when the snow kept falling and falling until we had four inches by 10 pm Mr. and I went out for a walk. The stillness was punctuated by the crash of tree limbs under the weight of the snow in the woods. The whiteness everywhere created such light in the winter night. It was magical.

Happy New Year!

Timing is everything with forced bulbs, and it worked out perfectly this year.
The peak of bloom on New Year's Day. What a lovely celebration.
Happy New Year!

Just started a lacy wrap, called River, by Rowan.
This will take a while.

Latest Knitting

Using up some GGH Samoa, that my mom gave me, I made a headband.
It is so cozy on these chilly winter days.

Oh the Joys of Leftovers!

After baking for days on end
(pumpkin pie, biscotti, butter cookies, coffee cake, French apple tart)
it is time to relax and enjoy the leftovers!

WHAT IS THAT?!!!!

Mr. came in out of the cold with great excitement.
"You have to see this!" he exclaimed.
Dragged away from my baking in my pajamas and apron
I donned my snow boots and went outside armed with a ruler.
I was to do some investigative work.
I marched back inside in a hurry to find my tracks of Northwest animals field guide.
The tracks left in the snow were none like we had ever seen before around here. They were huge. There was what seemed like a tail drag line in the snow ahead of each print. The prints sank deep in the snow under the weight of a very large animal. There were claw marks in the print (not a puma as we first suspected). The prints were 4" wide by 4 1/2" long. The only animal that seemed close was a Timber Wolf. That or a very large dog. But a dog would not normally travel through the thickets in our garden and would just go on the easiest route of open pathways, so there is suspicion that it is not a dog print. I wish I had an expert to look at the tracks because it would be great to find out what animal left them. We have lots of coyotes around here but the prints are too large for a coyote.

Here's my Christmas dessert.
A French Apple Tart
from Ina Garten's Back to Basics new cookbook.
I am a great fan of all of her cookbooks.
This one was fabulous. Yum.

Merry Christmas!

My cookie press isn't working properly,
but that wasn't going to stop cookie making!
I used a new recipe that's yummy.
Ho Ho Ho and enjoy the season!

Noel

cross-stitched + lavender filled (made a few years ago)

A quick last minute wreath
The tree was felled this morning with the notion that it would become our Christmas tree this year, but on closer examination there was too much dead material amongst the interior, rendering it unsafe to add Christmas lights. Instead, the end branches became this year's wreath along with our healthy supply of variegated holly.

Monster

There is supposed to be a monster storm
heading our way today bringing up to 24" of new snow.
Wow!
In the meanwhile I'm keeping the birds well fed.

Lovely Morning!

Snow glorious snow!
I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere today!
Cinnamon swirl biscuits just came out of the oven.
They're the perfect accompaniment,
with some chocolate stoked coffee,
to the view outside of continuous snowfall.
It looks like the bunnies are going to
remain in residence in the garage for quite a while
with the cold temperatures forecast for the next week.
The birdies were practically knocking on the door
for me to put out seed for them, which I did.
I love the snow, it's just heavenly!

Winter Joy

I know it's not technically winter yet, but looking outside at the 2" of snow you would certainly be fooled. I love all the reflected light off the snow that makes the house glow inside, especially at this low point of the sun's arc in the sky. Snow always buoys my soul if I don't have to drive anywhere. The crunch under foot sends me back to my month in Vermont long ago. That texture transports me to a world away from responsibility and to a place of limitless imagination. It was a window on unimpeded life that I could not have enjoyed if not for the support of my wonderful family.
Yesterday I enjoyed a morning with my family as we all, except the U student, ran in the Solstice Run 1 mile race, in the mid thirties temperature with a strong wind, brrrr. Through the race I looked just ahead and convinced myself to pass people that I thought could possibly be in my age group with success. Later my daughter was awarded first place in her age group, and I, the most unlikely recipient, won for my age group (and I might add at the upper most reaches of that age group of ten long years)! This little victory was so joyous for a person that had always been in the last to be chosen category for school sports teams. I truly was hoping for third place, so I was shocked to have won, plus I received a week membership at the gym. I don't know how to use any gym equipment. It will be mighty embarrassing to use that prize. Snow + a blue ribbon, life is good near the lowest apex of the sun.

Ho Ho Ho

I should call this my ferry scarf.
I've been working on it for years as
a light weight knitting project
to toss in my tote to work on
while crossing the sound.
At last it is finally finished.
There have been many rows that have been ripped
on this one, after realizing that
one misplaced stitch
throws off the whole pattern,
but isn't recognizable until after two rows or more are worked.
It is quite a relief to have this project off my list to finish!

Crochet Wrap

Rowan Bark Pattern, modified
It was supposed to be a quarter circle but I wanted a wider wrap.
I like how it has a bit of a shawl collar.
Suri baby alpaca + mohair.
This is one cozy wrap for lounging around the house in the long dark days of winter.

Blooming December

Searching for beauty where ever it may be hiding.

As the air chills and the clouds lock tight to exclude light
there are those that resist the season and continue to bloom.
Roses, ceanothus, hydrangea, feverfew, camellia, fuschia, cyclamen, erigeron,
viburnum, lithodora, arbutus lift my near winter weariness with their varied petals.
Thank you flowers. I love you.

Isolation

Death means permanent isolation from those that you care about.
Sudden unprepared death is shocking,
a temblor to one's core.
It's been hard to breathe.
Someone so central to our lives over the last three years,
someone that we would see every day is gone
forever.
We never said goodbye,
until after he was gone.
He knew how much we appreciated him however.
We knew how he felt about us.
Crying hasn't been this profuse since
my world was shattered in 1984
when my father died
suddenly as well.
I know that only time will
begin to heal the hurt.
Why do good people always go long before they should?

Off the Needles, On the Hook

Here's a closeup of a scarf that took one day to knit.
I modified a pattern from Twinkles Weekend Knits
and used up a Rowan Big Wool Print yarn that has
languished in my stash for a long while.

This one is still in progress.
It's a Rowan pattern called Bark that I have wanted to make for years.
It is crocheted in a quarter circle to make a shawl.
Eventually it will have a picot edge of Rowan Big Wool Tuft.
I have started this pattern at least six times with different yarn combinations in the last few weeks, ripping countless stitches and rewinding ball after ball. Now I think I have found a combination that I am happy with. The pattern is supposed to be made with very thick yarn and when I worked it up in that yarn it was too stiff for my liking. This may be a great pattern to start using up the expansive stash pile, or I may use up the stash to make a stripey knit blanket.

Note: I have completely ripped the Bark wrap. I didn't like how it was turning out.

Make Us Proud

Bring light into darkness.

Make the important things count like quality education for all, safe bridges, access to medical care, safe food, renewable resources for energy, clean air and water, upholding real human rights, and an unquestionable democracy. Banish greed, access to power only through special interest, war. Embrace diplomacy, freedom of ideas, personal choice, peace, prosperity for all. We need you more now than ever before to lift this country out of its hollow to become a haven for truth and rational thought.

Best wishes to this land of ours.

Happy Halloween

Here's a little project that I made up from two skeins of sale Rowan Big Wool. I call it my core warmer. It makes me nice and cozy as the weather turns chilly, even though I look like a pumpkin. Big Wool is so satisfying to knit since a project can be completed so quickly. I wish I had bought one more skein so I could have made it a bit longer and had enough to make straps. Oh well, I found some nice braid to make straps. Right now I'm working on a Big Wool wrap that should be done soon.

Finished!

There was only one skein of this yarn at Churchmouse's 40% off sale so I asked if it would be enough to make a scarf. I was told that I should make a lace pattern. After experimenting with several different patterns I settled on this one and am so happy with how it turned out. It's made of silk and cashmere and oh so deliciously soft.

Crataegus phaenopyrum

This gorgeous tree, Washington Hawthorne, started out as a 6" seedling from the Arbor Day Foundation and has grown into a glorious mature tree that the deer love to browse. Watch out while clipping for wreath-making since the branches are covered with four inch thorns!