Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

Today I'm sharing three patterns by three new-to-me BIPOC designers. Most of these are not new designs, but they appealed to me and I'm hoping that by adding them and the designers to my Ravelry Favorites, I'll begin to see more. I've always enjoyed similar blog posts of others -- we all love knitting and even if we're not actively searching for a possible project, it's always fun to be inspired!

1 - Jiminez Joseph | @jimiknits

• VESTival! "Inspired by the bohemian fashionistas at music festivals, VESTival is a sleeveless top, worn as a relaxed overlay."

You probably didn't know that I have a thing for vests, and I love this one. It's knit sideways, for the most part, as are many of Jimi's sweater designs. I can see this layered over a dress or a flowy skirt.

• Buckshot. "BUCKSHOT is an over-sized, medium length sweater with bracelet length sleeves. It has an all-over textured stitch pattern that looks as if it’s riddled with bullet holes! A relaxed fit for comfort during any occasion and versatile for any wardrobe."

I love the texture on this boxy sweater, and the deep V-neck. So wearable.

• Aggregate. "Aggregate is an arrowhead shaped wrap/scarf. It is made using 2 colour skeins of Heavy DK/Worsted weight yarn. It is knitted from the top-down with short row wedges and arrows that form a distinctive Left side/Right side mirror effect."

I've been avoiding that shawl shape in recent months, but the striping in this one is pretty cool, and I love all the variations/ideas in the featured photos.

LUCKY DAY ALERT: As part of her birthday celebration, Jimi is offering 20% off of her patterns on Ravelry with coupon code: birthday. Discount code is good through midnight BST on 19 July 2019.

2 - Tina Tse | @tina.say.knit

• Blooming Texture Shawl. "A triangle shape shawl playing with different combination of stitches, exploring lace patterns and color textures to bring a fun experience while knitting!"

This is the type of triangular shawl that's appealed to me more of late. I love the combination of texture, stripes, and lace, and it looks amazing in two colors with a lot of contrast. But there's a low-contrast photo in the middle of the pack (which I think is possibly a b&w photo and more contrast-y in real life) that stopped me in my tracks! INSPIRED!

• Deauville. "This relaxed top is worked from the bottom up, in the round, before separating the front and back to work the armholes and neckline. A 3-needle cast off is used to join the shoulders, so there’s no seaming involved."

In-the-round is not my favorite, so I'd have to make some changes, but I'm a sucker for stripes and this sweater looks so wearable!

• Gradient Fade Cowl. "Colors blending in and out of each other creating new colors and possibilities, that’s what birthed the Gradient Fade Cowl. This cowl is meant for color exploration."

I really love the possibilities with this cowl, and I love wearing cowls in the winter.

3 - Noma Ndlovu | @biggerthanlife_knits

• Black Berry Shawl. "This shawl is knit using a combination of merino singles (fingering weight) and kid mohair. The garter and lace sections are separated with mohair stripes. The shawl is an easy to knit project perfect for TV knitting and traveling."

Yes to TV/travel knitting! I've really loved long, shallow crescent shaped scarves the last couple of years and I love the possibilities with this design.

• Colour Block Shawl. "This lovely shawl is easy to knit and caters for all skill levels."

So many possibilities with this shawl, too, and an interesting overall shape!

• Protea Cable & Lace Scarf. "The versatile scarf is worn either as a scarf or cowl."

I keep coming back to this one... cables, lace, and the styling! I don't think I've ever worn a long cowl with one loop pulled through the other like that. GENIUS! 

On one hand, I'm astounded that I've never heard of these designers nor seen their beautiful designs; and the other hand is slapping me! >>>EXACTLY<<<

I plan to make this a regular feature -- maybe once a month or so? 

Now all I need is a helluvalotta more time in my day in order to knit some of these.

I'll let the photos do most of the talking...

You're never too young to love office supplies!

A discerning shopper.

The loot! There was a TON of stuff that was put back or never even made it into the cart... too expensive, not right now, LET'S LOOK OVER HERE...

She said, "Mommy buys me whatever I want!"

That was news to Ali.  :)

The fashionista! Not shown, new Moana underwear... because we're finally there again!!

We had lunch -- kids' meals at Culver's include a scoop of frozen custard!

She said, "Mommy always lets me eat ice cream first!"

That was also news to Ali!!  ;)

The we came home and painted nails, hands & feet were opposite colors!

This is one of my favorite photos of the day.

What a fun day!

I had the day off of work today! I prefer my 3-day weekends to be Fri-Sun instead of Sat-Mon... but I guess I'll take what I can get.

I didn't want to, but I mowed the lawn this morning. Yesterday would have been a much better day for it, but I was otherwise occupied... Kate & I had our shopping/lunch date with Ginny. I know a few of you saw my IG stories about that. She was a HOOT! I'll do a separate little post about it.

I also had a meeting with the house painter this morning.

Otherwise, I've been sewing! I cut all the pieces for the girls' dresses and have been sewing a little bit each day. Plus I hemmed a pair of jeans for Kate last night. I finished Malina's (except for a button) this afternoon. I thought some sewing-related macro shots would be appropriate.

I bought a new machine a few months ago, and I've finally gotten around to actually sewing something. It's a Baby Lock Jubilant. There's a bit of a learning curve, as it has quite a few more features than my old Husqvarna -- I have to look up how to do every single thing -- but I like it so far and it has some great features, such as self-threading and a drop-in bobbin under a see-through plate. I have wound a bobbin and threaded the machine once or twice now without having to look it up, so that's progress!

Nice, even stitches. The machine has a speed control, so if it's on SLOW, it'll only go so fast (or slow, heh) no matter how hard I step on the pedal. That'll be great if & when the kids want to learn to sew. I can also forego the pedal altogether and just use a start/stop button... but that seems so weird!

I used one of the overlock stitches to finish the edges of the flutter sleeves. It's so cool to be able to do that!

I sewed one of those sleeves three times in order to get the flutter placed in the correct position, right-side up. Ugh! The sewing directions were similar to the ones you see in sewing where you knit a thing and then they tell you to knit another one but reversing the shaping, or whatever. Yeah.

Ginny's should go a bit quicker, now that I've done it once and know what to look out for. The pattern is Violette Field Threads' Ruthie. I might actually do a strip of velcro where the button should go because this is a size 2 (the smallest available) and Malina is a bit shy of that and also not a super-pudge like her brother & sister were! Or maybe one buttonhole and two buttons.

I think it was official on Wednesday, but I still had a reminder on my calendar yesterday for 100 (+/-) days of stitching!

Two finished sleeves and current state of back panel underway.

Back in April, I'd committed to at least :15 of sewing each day on my Alabama Chanin Car Jacket! I think I stitched on about 95 days, and a few of those days were spent on the A-line re-do, and there were just a few when I didn't stitch at all -- two or three at most. Most of it was documented on Instagram: #100daysknitorious2019

There were quite a few days when I worked significantly longer than :15, but even conservatively, I've stitched for a total of 25+ hours since April, mostly on my jacket!

All in all, I consider it a wild success!

Same general area on each sleeve and the design choices that make them the same but different!

Ditto! This is the June's Spring stencil.

I have two sleeves completely done and the start of a body part (with three more in the wings, plus a collar, two pockets, pocket flaps -- just keeping things in perspective). There is WAY more done now than I had 100 or 101 or 102 days ago!

I am looking forward to continuing the process with almost as much diligence. Part of the problem is that it's sort of monopolizing the main portion of my work area and there are other things that I need/want to get done. The trick is to put it away, but not so far away that I forget about it or it's too much of a chore to regroup.

A good workroom clean-out would probably help overall! Well, except for a shopping trip, I have a fairly clear weekend ahead...

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

Since last we met on a Thursday, it's (mostly) all quiet on the walnut front, the catalpa flowers are finished, and three very badly located hornet/wasp nests have been taken care of. Yahoo!

This week, I have three random things to share.

1 -- The Giraffe in My Car.

I got rid of a lot of unnecessary items when I moved from the old car to the new, but not my little giraffe. He sits in the pocket of the driver's side door. Isn't he cute? Do you have a driving companion?

2 -- MDK Waving Rib Sock.

I turned my first short-row heel on this sock the other day and, other than having to adjust my numbers due to the gauge difference, it was A PIECE OF CAKE!

You don't even have to knit the wraps. I tried it on last night and it both felt & looked GREAT!

3 -- Let's Go Shopping!

This was Ginny the other day, delivering a formal request via Snapchat video, for a shopping date with Nona and Auntie Kate! She said that she wants to shop for bracelets, pants, a shirt, more bracelets, a headband, and plants. All delivered with the sweetest little lisp. I think it might happen this weekend, with lunch. Isn't she looking grown up??

Kate & I hopped in the car on Friday afternoon and drove over to Algoma for the opening of a show at James May Gallery.

Mother + Artist

This exhibition includes women who are both artists and mothers. Although all the work may not specifically be about experiences in motherhood, each participant manages some degree of an art career while also mothering. Featured are women who dedicate a significant focus to the creation, promotion, and exhibition of their work with multiple works by each artist making up the exhibition.

Featuring work by:  Amy Soczka, Katie Martin Meurer, Maria Amalia Wood, Jamie Lea Bertsch, Kendra Bulgrin, Megan Woodard Johnson, and Mindy Sue Wittock

The hostas are blooming!

Kate took this great photo on July 4th. Junah directed our fireworks show, with an assist from Ginny, and Kate was our pyromaster. They're not even the star of this photo, but the hostas (and ferns) are definitely hard to miss, and the showstopper (Blue Angel) can't even be seen from this view. The ferns are almost monstrous this year! I've never seen them so big and full.

These were taken with my phone (Samsung Galaxy S9) in the front bed pictured above on Saturday when Junah was over "helping" me for a few hours. He essentially watched me pull weeds in the back yard for :05, declared it boring, and went up to the house and occupied himself with an old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle car (missing pieces but still intriguing and fun) that we found at the antique mall, aka Nancy's. It's super fun going to the antique mall with him! He's getting to know the lay of the land, his favorite booths, the "shortcuts," and it's fun to see what catches his eye. Nancy lives just down the street from me and she gets a kick out of it, too.

I hope you had a great holiday and a wonderful weekend. I have been knitting, sewing, dying over all of the Revolutionary War airport memes, and celebrating a Women's World Cup victory!!

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

Here are three things happening in my natural world (aka, the back yard)...

1 -- Walnuts. Baby walnuts.

Last Friday night there were a couple of hard PLUNKS on the roof above my bedroom -- a metal roof. PLUNK.PLUNK ... PLUNK.

On Saturday night, there were a LOT of hard plunks at irregular intervals. PLUNK.PLUNK ... PLUNK (roll) PLUNK.PLUNK.PLUNK.

PLUNK.

Gah! It woke me up, kept me awake for hours, and even drove me to find the earplugs in my travel bag. It was nighttime so I didn't have my glasses on, but I stepped on something weird as I opened the cupboard outside the bathroom. It turned out to be a *%#&%*@% cricket (I had to bend down -- too close -- to identify it).

We had Airbnb guests... and my roof is right outside the upstairs bedroom windows. OMG, it was AWFUL!! (They never said or acknowledged anything, so maybe they slept like rocks. I hope.)

Overhanging the roof at the back of the house is a walnut tree and these little guys, hardly bigger than a marble -- but heavy & dense -- were raining down on my roof in the wee hours, surely having been dislodged by raccoons or squirrels.

I called a guy on Sunday, and he said he'd be happy to come over, take care of the critters, and collect $500, but that he'd surely be back in a week to do it all over again... and again and again. He suggested trimming the walnut tree. I got a quote for that yesterday... YIKES!!

Meanwhile, we have nature-loving Airbnb guests this week (newlyweds... it's practically a honeymoon) and this is what I wrote to them on Monday, prior to Tuesday's arrival:

There's been some on/off partying in the walnut tree and roof at the back of the house in the wee hours -- raccoons, squirrels -- Friday night was so-so, Saturday night was raucous, and last night was next to nothing. Hopefully, they got it all out of their system and have moved on... just wanted you to be aware. There is nature happening literally right outside your window.

Keeping fingers crossed, but Saturday seems to have been the big party night -- maybe there was some territorial scuffling going on -- and it's been so-so or better since. Sheesh.

2 -- Catalpa trees. 

There are two in our yard, both volunteers. They're weeds and not in the best locations, but I have a couple of soft spots for catalpas.

1. I never noticed or knew what a catalpa tree was until I spotted a huge one in the park across the street from where Sharon lived in Milwaukee 30 years (or so) ago. She was working as a City arborist at the time and was pretty knowledgeable.
2. There was an equally huge catalpa tree between our neighbor's and their neighbor's years ago, which surely provided the seeds for ours. My neighbors at the time wanted to relocate their garage and driveway, but their neighbor's tree was in the way and would need to come down. It was agreed and the deed was done. My neighbor knew that my dad turned wood and made lovely bowls & things, and asked if perhaps he'd make one from the wood for their neighbor. It was a nice gesture, and their neighbor happened to be a delightful retired school teacher (my brother's kindergarten teacher) who, at 90 or so, still wore her long hair in braids criss-crossed atop her head, and she'd sometimes chat with us from the upstairs bedroom window while she braided and pinned -- I loved that sweet woman -- so was happy to tap my dad for the job. Unfortunately, the sweet woman who was their neighbor died before the wood could be cured & turned, so now the catalpa wood bowl is mine... and I treasure it.

I thought I'd show the long view(s) from whence the most recent Macro Monday view came. I stood on the pergola bench to take the close-up photos.

On the way back up the stairs, I spotted a nest under the top step.

3 -- Things that go buzz. And that sting.

The nest is similar to this one that I spotted from the bedroom window the next morning. That's under the eve right off the end of the back porch.

Both are in areas where the kids play. Ugh. So, in lieu of both large pest control and tree trimming, there will be small pest control. They can't come until Wednesday, so that gives me time to assess the entire perimeter of the house (which is scheduled to be painted soon). Last year, I had a problem with similar getting under the siding. I've never had so many pest problems before! (I'm not even mentioning the tiny ants... oops, I guess I am!)

_ _ _ _ _

Happy 4th of July!

It's been rainy, it's been hot, my back yard is like a jungle, and my entire city was steaming this morning.

This was the the view from the end of the driveway... I wish I could have taken more photos along the way, it was even thicker in some areas, and the air was so still and HEAVY... I could barely breathe.

_ _ _ _ _

Joining Kat & the Unravelers today!

KNITTING:

I discovered last night, as I reached the point where I'd start the heel flap, that the sock I'm knitting for an adult... is not going to fit an adult. Somehow I screwed up my numbers. So I'm going to start over... literal unraveling will be happening this evening.

And, as long as I'm starting over, I'm going to take my inspiration from the latest MDK Field Guide No. 11 - Wanderlust! I'm not sure exactly how or what, but I'll have plenty of time to think about that as I'm... unraveling and rewinding. Heh.

READING:

There has been little progress except for adding to the TBR pile. Joining Lincoln in the Bardo, two books have been added to my Audible queue in the past week:

• Our Harlem: Seven Days of Cooking, Music and Soul at the Red Rooster by Marcus Samuelsson (includes a PDF with the recipes!)
• My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem

I loved listening to Marcus Samuelsson's memoir, Yes, Chef, so I thought "Our Harlem" would be a good one (plus food & drink recipes!).

"My Grandmother's Hands," is... timely right now.

The Summer Walkers is still on my nightstand, with The Bright Hour in the wings, thanks to Bonny's recent rating/recommendation.

SEWING:

Thankfully, there's been a change in the photo shoot schedule, so I don't have to rush with the kids' outfits.

I stopped at Joann's yesterday, anyway, and will have some time to test my theory... or come up with another plan!

Meanwhile, I'd recently picked up a few things for the kids at rummage sales, including this top for Malina:

AWESOME, isn't it? When I was folding the laundry load, I had an A-HA moment and realized exactly WHY this top was so awesome:

Very Alabama Chanin-esque, wouldn't you say?? I guess my subconscious is in tune. Haha!

As of 4:00 there are 4 days ahead and who knows what will happen... well, if you're in the USA, you know that fireworks will happen! I may or may not pop in, so...

Have a great weekend!

I can hardly believe it's July! Now's the time that summer feels like it might be slipping away, especially because we've hardly had any summer weather to enjoy... so.much.rain.

It certainly was summertime hot & humid over the weekend, with more of that in the forecast (along with more rain).

I've whittled the Macro Monday photos for today down from 10 (that I processed) to four:

There's a small stack of shells on one of the pergola benches... randomly stacked by one of the kiddos (I'm guessing Gin) and it's been undisturbed for days. I love the subtle colors!

Our young-ish catalpa trees are LOADED with flowers this year!!

And there are plenty of buds yet to open. So pretty.

So, naturally, our Airbnb guests arrived early on Friday and we were last on the list for appliance delivery... so that was less than ideal. The appliance guys arrived about :20 after the guests, but they were really great and the whole process went SUPER smooth! Had our guests arrived at regular check-in time, I'd have just been finishing up... just as I'd mentioned in my heads-up note to them. I'm really happy with the new fridge!

The thrift shop hop in Green Bay was fun on Saturday. Kate made a pretty good haul; I bought a pair of wine glasses and some sewing needles. Obviously, lunch was the highlight for me! We checked out Copper State Brewing Co., which is related to Copper Rock Coffee Co. located in Appleton. Kate had some pork tacos with a lager, I had a burger with an IPA and a half. I caught whiff of a hamburger on the way in and couldn't shake it...

I finished my Alabama Chanin A-line Tunic re-do! I found a back-side photo from June 2017 when I finished (the first time) to compare:

The difference in stitching is plain to see! I've popped it in the wash to even it all out (the equivalent of blocking knits). (Obviously, red is my preferred color for toenails!)

I did some #100daysknitorious2019 stitching on my Car Jacket, and also started some projects for the kids. By that, I mean that I mostly printed and taped and cut patterns pieces (so time consuming!). I'm making matching dresses for Ginny & Malina and a coordinating vest for Junah. I'm using some "Nana" fabric... a white embroidered cotton that were originally cafe curtains that my mom had made for the coffee shop (skirts of the dresses and body of the vest), and a floral Ralph Lauren sheet that was a favorite of my mom's (flutter sleeves, straps & bands on the dresses, welts & possibly facings on the vest & bow tie). We've been wanting to make something from that curtain fabric for a couple of years now, so finally... but it really needs stabilizing. I've ordered some fusible stuff and keep your fingers crossed that it's shipped sooner rather than later because just minutes after I did that, Ali sent me a message about a photo shoot for the kids on July 8th and it would be SO GREAT to have these projects finished. I could get away with adding another layer to the dresses, and maybe even to the vest... we'll see. I have a couple of days to think on it all.

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

It's been a long week, but as of 4:00 this afternoon, I'm on weekend time! Three days, baby, YAHOO! Here's a little bit of what's happening:

Friday

I'll be taking delivery of a new fridge for the apartment and, believe it or not, it's scheduled perfectly (to not interfere) for the Airbnb guests arriving tomorrow afternoon. I've spent enough time up there to notice that the old fridge (brand new in 1982 when I was renting an apartment from my stepdad) seems to be running.all.the.time.

Saturday

Kate also has the day off on Saturday, and we plan to head up to Green Bay for some thrift shopping... and lunch, of course.

Sunday

Certainly by Sunday (and maybe even by Saturday), I'll have finished the re-working of my Alabama Chanin A-line Tunic. Are you sick of this yet?

I found a photo from when I was first doing this stitching:

This isn't impossible, but it is pretty tedious since it's already been cut and the fabric curls a bit after washing. Here's a progress shot that I took this morning:

Getting there! After this little interlude is over, it's back to my June's Spring Car Jacket!!

_ _ _ _ _

Making the outlook even brighter, next week is a 3-day work week... which means a 4-day weekend will follow!

Joining Kat & the Unravelers today!

Um... this just in:

WOW!!! This is so great! All the love for Colbert...

KNITTING:

I haven't been doing much actual knitting, but I am working on a pair of socks... it's even Christmas knitting!

READING:

I am still listening to to Lincoln in the Bardo... I'm enjoying it the second time around, though not a lot of listening is happening.

The Summer Walkers: Travelling People and Pearl-Fishers in the Highlands of Scotland is on my nightstand.

This book was a gift from Kate a while back and I've finally made it a priority -- so glad I did. It's loaded with photos and the stories are fascinating.

SEWING:

I have continued my 100-day project, though I did veer from the Car Jacket to work on fixing another project:

This is an Alabama Chanin A-line Tunic that I finished two years ago (it made it's debut at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona!). The Alabama Chanin A-line is my favorite shape -- it's incredibly flattering -- and I love this tunic... except for the areas where I used gray thread instead of black. I thought it was a good idea at the time, but it's too contrast-y (to me). Every time I'd see it in my closet, I'd think, "Oh, I love that top... but I hate that contrast-y stitching." So I finally decided to do something about it!

It's not easy, given that it has been worn and washed a few times already, but I can't wait to wear it again! I've done the small flower at the shoulder and I think, for now, I'm going to finish that area and just re-do the smaller elements at the top of the big flower on the lower-left -- that might be just enough! I can always re-do some more.

Y'know, I was OK yesterday.

This morning, two blocks from work, a song came on the radio and I just started to cry... it's been hard to shake (doesn't help that it's gray and raining today).

My friend Carole calls that "sneaky grief." She is so right.

My mom died five years ago yesterday. And I miss her. A lot. I suppose I always will.

So bear with me.

The MACRO:

Another peony. The kids were over for a while yesterday and Junah was having a hard time when it was time to head home. He stomped outside... and I walked out after him. We sat together on the front porch and talked it out (sort of?), and then he jumped up and ran around the corner of the house. Pretty soon he came back and gave me this peony. Though similar, this isn't one of mine; he wasn't gone long enough, for one thing. So, thanks, sweet Junah... and neighbors!!

Speaking of the front porch, I stopped to take a photo of mine as I left for work this morning.

Do you see it? That sweet little kitty curled up on my porch chair?

That's not our cat. He/she sure looks right at home, though!

This is one of the sweetest photos I've taken of Malina yet; sitting on my front porch with her mama last night.

So, emotions are all over the place, anyway, and now this:

IT'S A RAD TIME TO BE A KNITTER!!

Though I don't post much about politics, I haven't been silent -- except that I really cannot say that guy's name or call him "my president," so silent in a way, I guess. I am still utterly shocked that he was even elected and I still find him utterly despicable. He has done absolutely nothing to change those feelings.

I stand with Ravelry 100%

It hasn't been a terribly taxing week, but I haven't been sleeping as well as usual so I'm looking forward to maybe sleeping in a little tomorrow. Or, even better, taking a nap!

Did I mention that Kate's back? I picked her up at the airport on Tuesday after work. The kiddos came over with their parents for pizza & hugs & kisses, and Ginny walked up carrying the sweetest bouquet of flowers for Kate, including a couple of pretty little daisies.

I have an Airbnb to get ready this evening/tomorrow morning, and thankfully Kate's here to help (tonight, at least)! I had a bath exhaust fan installed in that bathroom on Wednesday, so there's a little extra dust to deal with.

Yesterday was my first CSA pick up of the year and it included the herb plants I'd ordered a couple of months ago. I'll be getting all that planted tomorrow, too.

The basil that I got from the CSA farm last year was the best we've ever had, so I'm excited for all the rest -- parsley, cilantro, sage, thyme, and I think mint & oregano! Doesn't that basil look so good? A leaf had fallen off when I got them out of the bag, and I just popped it right into my mouth. Yum.

Wednesday was incredibly busy & active, with an electrician (a co-worker) at the house most of the day and me (helping) running several times from basement to attic to flip breakers and consult. Ali & the kids came over in the early evening and we walked down to a concert at the park, and I also took an extra walk around the neighborhood with the kids, pushing a double stroller the whole time. I was so tired... it was the 79th of #100daysknitorious2019, and the first day that I missed. There are plenty of times I've sewn for far longer than my "minimum," and it's a pretty well established part of my day now, so I'm OK with that. I also did a little sewing during yesterday's Knit Night.

I don't think I ever mentioned my Alabama Chanin Palazzo Pants, either!

They are SO comfy. I'm wearing them today with a striped dress and my Llama Angora Chacos -- I love all the stripes!! Anyway, I made a quick single-layer pair of "muslin" palazzo pants that fall just below the knee, and I LOVE THEM!! I'd love to make a longer double-layer pair, and am contemplating whether/where I might want a design/stencil.

My sewing room used to be Ali's bedroom at one time. Every once in a while, when I turn off the light and close the door at night, I catch a glimpse of this:

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Have a great weekend!

Though Kate wasn't coming with us to Cornwall, she was going to the UK for a while and she managed to get a seat on the same flight to Gatwick that we were taking, so we were able to share a taxi to the airport. We said our farewells on the way to rent a car...

Overtaken by the charm of St. Ives, apparently, I overlooked the fact that it was a 5-hour drive from London and I was the only driver. I treated myself to an upgrade...

...which bit me good in the end*, but it was still worth it!!

It was dark by the time we got to St. Ives and we drove around for a while looking for our Airbnb. I'm pretty sure I drove down a lane (maybe this lane)...

...not meant for driving... in my sporty little car, in the dark. Yikes.

We stopped once for a few provisions but mostly directions. Hahahahahahaha. OMG.

We stopped a second time and, lucky for us, there happened to be a policeman in the shop and he offered to lead the way and then told us where to park (and he'd know our car and be sure not to give us a ticket). Parking is a very big problem in St. Ives! This was where 1) I realized, when he told me about the very tight turn-around, that I'd been down the street before and had just continued right through that "very tight turn-around" right into the not-for-vehicles lane (in my car), and 2) I scraped up against the curb while parking (the first bite*).

Our Airbnb was FANTASTIC:

The guy is a surfer (note the cool "light fixture" in the kitchen) and his wife's mum is a knitter (though yarn shops are not plentiful). There were two tiny bedrooms (because Kate might have come with us at one point), one of which we used for our suitcases and stuff. And while cute & cozy, that's not why we were there.

The minute this came into view, I pulled over to take some photos. The light was so pretty! Also: Cornish coast, farms, stone walls, water, and beautiful sky.

We meandered and stopped a few places, most notably at Land's End!

We also hunted down some standing stones.

These are The Drift Stones located near Penzance...

...in a field of daffodils! This can be quite a hunt, and we turned around a few times before we finally made it. (We were originally across the road -- if you click on the map, those buildings are an abandoned farm.) (At least we think it was abandoned!) There were other stones we could have found, but it was spring and fields were wet & mushy... we felt pretty great just finding this one! Luckily, it wasn't too far off the road and we were able to pick a reasonably dry path. So cool!

We had some pretty good food & drinks on this trip, but this simple breakfast was one of my favorites!

Toasted Cornish Saffron Bread is DELICIOUS!!

Then we took a walk to & through the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.

It was just beautiful. Something to see at every turn. There's a tiny little house in the first garden photo above, in which there was a small bed... oh my goodness, I still get dreamy thinking about how wonderful it would be to take a nap there.

There was an old chapel and graveyard near the car park where we left the car most of the time. I couldn't help but walk through it a few times!

It wasn't long before we were on our way back to London, where I unknowingly picked up the second bite*! But first, we needed to see a few more standing stones...

It was a mile-long hike to get to Stonehenge from the (new) visitors' centre (we took a shuttle back), and I'm so glad we stopped! (You can also just drive by on the A303 and catch a glimpse.) It's amazing to see!

We returned to London and stayed at a hotel near Heathrow for our morning flight back home. Kate was still there, so we took the train to Paddington and met her for dinner & drinks at The Victoria (yes, I did that!) on our last night and caught up on goings-on.

Then homeward bound.

And finally home!

*They collected £50 for the first bite when we turned in the car. I was informed of the second bite by Hertz when they forwarded information from the Devon and Cornwall Police pertaining to a traffic violation; they charged another £50 for that "service." The email stated that "A copy of this fine is attached for your information (unless the offence is a Notice of Intended Prosecution, which legally has to be provided directly by the relevant police authority)." There was no attachment. Uh-oh. I got a speeding ticket -- my first in I-don't-know-how-long -- IN ENGLAND! They caught me on a camera! The cameras are marked by signs, most of which I noticed... I can almost recall breezing through that one, distracted by conversation with Rusty or something at the time. Anyway, to make a long story somewhat shorter, eventually there were forms to fill out and photocopies to send and it cost me another £100 + 3 points! Ugh.

That car was still worth it, though. Did you see that GPS? It popped up right out of the dashboard!!

Peonies!

And a little less macro-y:

I inspected and flicked 'em off when I saw them, but here's hoping I didn't bring too many ants into the house!

It's unusual to post twice in one day (when twice in a week is "good" lately), but this just came across the airwaves...

Rod had a gig out of town, so they all hopped into the (very small) motor home and are making most of a weekend out of it. It's rainy & a little chilly... isn't that always the way? (It always was for us!)

Walking!! (And wearing a sweater that I made when her big bro was wee.)

Anyway, have a GREAT weekend!!

MDK Field Guide No. 11 is released today!

WANDERLUST is a collection of sock patterns by designer Wendy Bernard.

Cuff-down or toe-up; plain or fancy or anything in between! There are 13 stitch patterns and the opportunity to make truly one-of-a-kind, personalized socks -- lots of them!

Field Guide No. 11 is on the shelf at the shop, and also available to order online > HERE!

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

1 -- So, apparently Typepad blocks URLs with the word "hey" to prevent spam postings, but using the word "hey" in a post title (hence, permalink) seems to also have prevented my receiving comment notifications for that post!

HEY, THANKS!!

Replying to comments without an email notification is clunky, at best, and while I love and appreciate every comment, I fall behind in replies even in the best of times. Global thanks -- past, present, and future -- for every post all the time forever. Thank you!

2 -- Junah slept over on Tuesday night and we had a very full day of errands and whatnot yesterday, including winding four hanks of yarn (he did three of them)! We also went to the grocery store, the chiropractor, Home Depot, dropped Kate's bike at the bicycle shop, made a deposit at the bank, stopped at the antique mall and a thrift store, had a spontaneous lunch date at Pizza Hut, finished getting the Airbnb ready, and even had a little play time at home (K-nex are going to be the death of me).

(It's definitely time to cull/clean off my bulletin board.)

3 -- "Snake" pellets don't work as well on a wet sidewalk, but we persisted.

This tiny tiger...

...isn't so tiny anymore!!

It blows my mind that this kid is 14 already!!

Happy Birthday, Mack!!

I can't wait to see you next month, and I'm looking forward to another epic Auntie Camp!! (I hope you're never too old for that!)

Whoopsie! I was so engrossed in the goings-on in the Big City last week that I completely forgot about Macro Monday!

If you follow me on Instagram, this needs no explanation!

If you don't, #100daysknitorious will help get you up to speed (or bore you to tears).

Bonus/making up for last week:

I feel like these could be better if the "focus" was a little different. I may try again...

_ _ _ _ _

I hope you had a great weekend! I had my biggest Airbnb group yet... for a one-night stay. OMG, that's a lot of work, and don't worry, the minimum stay was changed to TWO nights a while back! BUT, they were among the BEST guests ever -- a young man, his mom, and his grandparents -- all to see Sir Paul McCartney at Lambeau Field. It can't get much better than that. They were SUPER friendly and so excited. Fun family times, and I'm happy to have given them a comfy place to land. Even if it is a helluvalotta work... another 5-star review for my efforts, and the SUPERHOST status shall be mine come July!!

I had some great family time with my own family over the weekend, too, including an early evening pop-in at a band gig with Ali & the kids to wish Rod a happy birthday!

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

I arrived home last night and am back at work today. I have a lot of catching up to do (in every single area of my life)! Today, I have a quick follow-up on last week's 3 Things on my NYC list:

1 -- Landmarks: The Statue of Liberty and Strawberry Fields and Ellis Island.

2 -- Parks: Central Park and The High Line.

3 -- Museums: The Whitney and the Tenement museums (Irish Outsiders)... and the Merchant's House Museum.

I had a wonderful time, and the weather was great! It was great to see Kate and spend some time in the city with her. We put on a lot of miles, visiting museums, parks, eating some great food, visiting a few neighborhood pubs, and we even saw a movie (Rocketman). We never made it north of 34th Street!

Kate's there for another week, staying at a friend's apartment in the East Village and working in Brooklyn to hang a show for Greenpoint Open Studios.

OK. Back to work! I'll be back...

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

I'm headed to New York tomorrow morning for a few days of hanging out with Kate -- I haven't laid eyes on her since we parted ways at Gatwick on March 21st! She's certainly been absent for far longer, but she's been doing so many things -- residencies and/or shows in London, Leeds and Lisbon (hm, there's a ring to that), a trip to Scotland and vacation in the Highlands, a visit to Berlin -- and I'm anxious to catch up face-to-face. She'll be staying in NYC for another week or so after I leave, to do the Greenpoint Open Studios show in Brooklyn again, then head to Los Angeles for a long weekend of work-y/art stuff there, and then finally home around the middle of the month. Anyway... I'm planning to get together with a few other people in NYC, too; we'll see how that all pans out!

Meanwhile, here are 3 Things on my NYC list for this visit:

1 -- Landmarks: The Statue of Liberty and Strawberry Fields.

2 -- Parks: Central Park and the Highline.

3 -- Museums: The Whitney and the Tenement museums.

Strawberry Fields and Central Park may seem like the same thing... but they're not! Luckily, the Whitney is right by the Highline. The Tenement Museum has been on both of our lists for a long time. The tourist in me really wants to visit Lady Liberty.

I have high hopes for all of those things!!

_ _ _ _ _

The photo above has nothing to do with going to NYC! Ali drew a lovely rainbow on the sidewalk on Memorial Day and I thought it made for a nice photo to show off a new pedicure and sandals ! Maddy loves Chacos and she ordered a pair for me (with her discount) for Mothers Day -- Z/Cloud Llama Angora (I had to have them).

Here are a few more photos from the weekend... I had the big kids overnight because Ali & Rod went to an out of town wedding.

This little being is starting to WALK!!

It's been incredibly busy, but I'm committed to stitching every single day!

I haven't taken a knitting class in quite a few years, but sat down last night for INTRO TO BRIOCHE at my new LYS... which, I noticed on the way in, has gargoyles perched atop!

I am so excited to join Carole for Macro Mondays this summer!! I was sad that I forgot about Macro May... for 2 seconds. I'd mentioned to Carole that Macro-some-month-other-than-May could be fun, for something different -- different things in nature, especially -- and she came up with the Monday idea and it's just perfect. Maybe you'll join us, too! If you don't have a macro lens, just take a close-up. My first photo will be taken with my phone because I'm not taking the big camera to the big city. The keyword is STEADY! Use a tripod or something to stabilize your camera/phone, and a remote shutter release or time delay.

OK. That's all I've got!

What a crazy month! I can't believe it's Memorial Day Weekend already! Spring has been awfully slow to start in these parts, and it sure doesn't feel like the end of May.

• Airbnb guests every weekend (at least), and that continues through June.
• Ginny's 3rd birthday!
• A quick overnight get-away to the lakeshore.
• Make.Do pop-up shop at Casting On (my new local LYS).
• A new furnace & air filtration system installed. Now I have a "smart" thermostat and an app (which makes me happier than it probably should).
• Mother's Day!
• Ginny's ballet class!
• I bought a new vehicle!
• And I'm heading to NYC in a week.

Plus book club, knit night, a long overdue hair appointment, a pedicure (first of the season)!

With all of that going on, I let #memademay (among other things) slide this year; however, I've been extremely focused on making this month, continuing to stitch on my Alabama Chanin Car Jacket every single day!

Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. Day 50 of #the100dayproject was reached this week and I'm nearly finished with the embroidery portion of Sleeve #2. I'll break out the beads & sequins over the weekend!

I've also been knitting, continuing to work on my Entrelac Scarf.

And I knit a wall hanging during the last episode of Game of Thrones.

I still have to attach it to a stick and hang it up, but what a fun & quick project! One skein of super bulky yarn, an evening of knitting with super big needles, and voila! The (free on Ravelry) pattern is pineroot by jennifer dziuba-leatherman.

I'd recently been thinking about needing to replace my car... even more since the exhaust system was the loser in a scuffle with a chunk of ice a couple of months ago. Then I noticed another something under the car dragging on the ground (nothing serious & an easy fix, still...). It's been a great car, but it's 12 years old, is closing in on 166,000 miles, and there are a few other things.

I wasn't seriously looking, but have been driving Kate's Subaru Forester a lot since she's been gone and really love it, especially the heated seats and the sunroof! A couple of vehicles on a downtown lot had caught my eye, and I took a good hard look on Mother's Day when Ali & I happened to walk by. There was a 2011 Ford Escape that ticked most of my boxes, plus it was one of those one owner/low miles deals at a great price... seriously, an 8yo vehicle with 40,000 miles. I took it for a drive on Saturday -- it still had the new car smell and was super clean. Weirdly (or not), I noticed that even the wheels wells were practically spotless. Well, the gist of it is...

It doesn't have heated seats and I'd have chosen a different color (this is "Gold Leaf Metallic," aka "tan"), but it does have a moonroof (a sunroof with tinted glass), 4WD, and SYNC/Bluetooth (which I still have to figure out), and IT'S MINE -- I love it!!

I missed Ginny's dance lesson this week because of my first hair appointment since October 31st (I'm beginning to channel Rapunzel), but the kids all came over afterwards for a while so Ali could do some prep for an event.

I'll have the big kids for much of the day & overnight on Saturday while Ali & Rod attend the out-of-town wedding of some friends.

I'm looking forward to the holiday weekend and a short work week to follow! I'm heading to NYC a week from today to spend a few fun days with Kate before she goes all-in to prep for this year's Greenpoint Open Studios show.

Have a great weekend!

Our time in Valencia was so different this visit compared to last because of Las Fallas. The daily events, the crowds, the noise, the fireworks. We stopped at Mercado Central and that, in a nutshell, highlighted the difference between our two visits to Valencia -- it was all but deserted! Many businesses close altogether for the final few days of the festival.

We didn't fail to notice that it was spring!

Or the interesting logo of one of the Falla artists (maybe that was just me).

We had plenty of time before La Cremà, so took a walk around The City of Arts & Sciences. We'd visited before at night, so it was nice to see in the daytime. It's so beautiful and... other-worldly.

Contributing to the noise of Las Fallas is the fact that every kid in the city has a small box of their own fireworks to shoot off! Often carried around their necks, they're about the size of a shoebox (a boy in the photo above is carrying one on his arm), and there are entire stores and catalogs devoted to the selling of items with which to fill it. I saw young boys setting up/blowing off their own mini-mascletà type displays. I saw young fallera in traditional dress, no more than 4 or 5 years old, plopped on the ground and lighting off firecrackers. I saw old men toss extra goodies into kids' boxes as if handing out candy at Halloween. It was all quite something. And I didn't see anyone get hurt.

On the day after La Cremà, the festival officially over, most people went right back to work/school. Ann, Brian & the kids had an extra day off, but laid low and prepped for their return to work/school the following day (which would be our departure day).

Rusty took off for some time at the beach.

Kate & I took a walk to Old Town. We found some lunch, did a little shopping, and made our way to The Church of San Nicolás, aka The Valencian Sistine Chapel.

It was all pretty incredible, but the ceiling was over the top (as it were... heheh). Not an inch was unadorned, and so much gold!

We walked over to The National Museum of Ceramics and Decorative Arts with the intention of going in, but were were already on overload and this was the EXTERIOR of that building...

I can't imagine the visual overload awaiting visitors within... we put it on the list for next time! (With a nod to my mother who always left something for next time, no matter how likely it was that she'd actually return... it was the idea of it, looking to the future, holding out hope.)

It was a beautiful day! And it was so festive with all those flags flying.

I think we saw this facade last time -- I know we were right there -- but there's also a "skinniest house" right there and last time there was a market of some sort in the square.

It's so cool, though, isn't it?

In our wanderings, we also found ourselves at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, and you'd never have known that a 9-story tall, wood & papier mache graffiti-decorated sculpture was burned there mere hours before.

"We were standing here," and I'm taking the photo within feet of where the sculpture was located.

We had a nice dinner and final evening together in Valencia. Ann, Brian & the boys were off to school & work the next day, and Rusty, Kate & I shared a cab to the airport for the next phase of our trip.

Randomly, this is Addison's favorite snack and, I have to say, it would also be mine if I could find them here (or anything even close)! They're like flat crispy bread sticks -- smears of dough, actually -- studded with sunflower seeds. Yum.

And with that, have a great weekend!!

Joining Kat & the Unravelers to share what I'm knitting and reading.

I started a new Entrelac Scarf on Sunday evening, and as early as then I was questioning whether I liked the width.

Again on Monday night while I knit... and again last night. I did not keep very good notes on the previous versions that I knit; neither were my pictures very good. But I think this may be a bit of deja vu.

It sure is pretty.

But I'm not going to have that question niggling at me -- louder and louder and with more and more regret -- so I did some literal unraveling just this morning.

I'm ready to start again. I'll be happier with 24 sts instead of 32, a longer rather than wider scarf.

On the reading front, I am listening to Lincoln in the Bardo for the second time -- starting again almost 2 years to the day that I finished the first time. I am one chapter from the finish of My Brilliant Friend... I was planning to read that last night but I was too pooped.

I'm off today... chiropractor appointment, a stop at the P.O. to mail some paperwork to England, some errands to run, Ginny's second ballet class (squee!), and book club after that! I just realized that I have a 3-day weekend ahead and I'm looking forward to that. I really want to do a little (machine) sewing!

Two-thirds of my kids are out of the country, but the remaining one-third and I had a marvelous day!!

We took a few photos and... Ginny!! That girl pretty much stole the show! Personality is oozing from every pore.

A local floral designer had a pop-up shop at Kaukauna Coffee & Tea, so Ginny and I ran up there (so I could buy myself a bouquet), but by the time we got there -- a mere :30 after it started -- all that was left were two bunches of fresh eucalyptus! Obviously, it went over way better than anyone expected.

I bought the eucalyptus, anyway, and combined it with some bleeding heart and fiddlehead ferns, fresh from my garden, to make bouquets both for me and for the Airbnb guests due later in the day.

After photos, Ali and I walked down to meet our friends for "Momosas" and brunch and, boy, did we have a great time! I can't remember the last time we all got together, and it definitely won't be so long until the next.

On our way back we took a detour for a stop at the antique mall. We ran into a dealer that used to be in my mom's antique mall, who I haven't seen in years. Ali was in late elementary/early middle school when I was managing that mall, but she remembered her, too. It was really fun to catch up!

I continued sewing, trying some new things:

And started a new knitting project (after a week of virtually no knitting whatsoever):

I think this yarn will make a fun Entrelac Scarf! It's Melilla by Cascade. Perhaps there will be enough progress to warrant a photo for Unraveled Wednesday!

Our last Airbnb guests had a problem with the lockbox and, in trying to figure it out, I accidentally reset the combo... and it became a big problem for me! I tried cracking the combo a few times, but eventually took my spare key to have a couple of copies made...

But I continued trying to break in! Adding to my list of talents, and with a bit of help from Rusty in the manufacture of "tools of the trade," I "cracked" it on Saturday afternoon!

I can't believe it's been two months since we were in Spain & England!! I still have to write a couple of posts to wrap that up. Now that everything involved with an overseas traffic/speeding violation has been taken care of, I might be more in the mood...

It's Day 39 of #the100dayproject!

There's a random selection of images from the previous couple of weeks or so. I've finished Sleeve #1 and am currently doing the embroidery & appliqué on Sleeve #2. I've already done a little beading, but the majority of it will be done last.

It's been a couple of weeks, people! It started with An Evening with David Sedaris, followed by a day off and getting the Airbnb ready, CPR/AED/First-Aid & Blood-borne Pathogens training, a couple of meetings, a birthday, an art opening/overnight at the lakeshore, a Make.Do pop-up shop at my LYS, a new furnace installation, another meeting, a first ballet class, another event... plus, I worked all five days this week.

I AM READY FOR THE WEEKEND!!

There is plenty happening/to do, but I'm looking forward to Momosa Day and brunch at 313 Dodge with Ali, her bff Abbey, and Abbey's mom Ellen -- one of our favorite mother-daughter duos!

I'm only a tiny bit sad that I forgot about Macro May and #memademay, but #100daysknitorious2019 is plenty. I don't need any more on my plate right now (I'm delighted that I recognize that!). Maybe I'll do Macro September or October, instead.

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

1 -- We celebrated Ginny's 3rd birthday last Thursday!!

Little Superhero (all.the.heroes) Gin is getting feisty... standing her ground these days and taking no shit (esp from her big brother).

2 -- Last night was her first-ever ballet class!

The first few minutes were very reminiscent of dance classes with Junah, in which there was almost zero participation... it's just not his thing, and that's OK (we tried). Ginny girl had no interest at all in floor work and stretching last night. Once the dancing started, though, she was all in. Whew! And so darn cute.

3 -- Ginny's Rye Socks -- modeled!

I finished Malina's pair on Sunday, both pairs from the same hank of yarn, so they have matching sister socks.

Random bonus photos:

Y'know how you do something and then forget about it? Such as purchasing tickets for an event months in advance?

Yeah, that.

Totally fell off my radar. Luckily, there are numerous ways to get a reminder these days -- this morning, it was Facebook, and I was almost dumbfounded. How could I forget? It's on my calendar, too, but I'm not even sure I'd have looked at that without some sort of prompt. Mondays aren't usually too busy on my social calendar.

Well, surprise! Tonight, we're spending "An Evening with David Sedaris" at the Weidner Center in Green Bay!!

I learned of this event not long after I finished listening to Calypso last year, which I loved. Can't wait!

This isn't the first (2004) nor even the second blog post I wrote about Maddy's birthday... from April 2006:

Oh, what a busy, busy week this is!

Fifteen years ago today, we welcomed Madeleine into the world! Some of us found her to be quite fascinating.  ; )

My labor with her was pretty quick -- and I knew better some of the things I could do to help it along. When the doc arrived at the hospital at about 8:30 and saw me still walking the halls, he mumbled something about having been called too soon, that I wasn't even close if I was still walking. I had a different doc for each delivery, and even though this was our family doctor, he didn't know much about my birthings. Shortly before 10:00, my nurse (same labor nurse I had for Ali -- and she was an elementary school classmate) allowed me to get up and go to the bathroom. Well, that did it! Maddy was delivered a few minutes later by the nurse who was telling me not to push (I had no choice, of course) while DH was hollering down the hallway for the doctor who was visiting at the nurses' station (he didn't make it in time, but did knock about $300 off his bill); the nurse handed me the little baby bundle and said, "Here, hold her; I've got things to do!"

Happy 15th Birthday, Maddy! (My baby...)

My adventurer! This girl loves nature and the wilderness more than just about anything. She's winding up her latest vineyard gig in New Zealand right now. Viv's finished hers in Oz and is headed to NZ where they'll travel and visit friends for a couple of weeks before heading back to Australia. They'll be home at Christmas, so I'm looking forward to that!

Happy Birthday, Maddy!

_ _ _ _ _

I had a reminder this morning that it's my Great Great Grandmother Sarah Nutting Drake's birthday today, too.

She'd have been 173. Pictured here ca. 1916 (age 70!), with her grandchildren -- my Grandma Blum and two of her three brothers. I just love her. She scares me to death, but I love her!!