Monday, April 27, 2015

Done With Winter, For Now....

The weather has warmed up a bit, and our bulbs are emerging.


We also have daffodils, as do our neighbors. The ski resorts closed after Sunday's operation. Soon they will gear up for taking mountain bikers up the hill to ride down. DGD1 brought home her snowboard and boots to store until next year. The trails are drying out, as the snow line moves higher. We discovered a new trail on Tuesday, after dropping off the truck to be serviced. We hiked with the pups for a couple of hours. This is our version of the opening scene of "Downton Abbey."


Rocky had run up ahead. Thursday I saw and heard our first hummingbird, something that usually doesn't happen until May 1st. We have the feeder out now.
Also on Thursday was Vintage Stitchers. We met at Barbara's. (I forgot my camera, so these were taken with my phone.) Marilyn was finishing up this "1600" quilt. After seeing one Carol made using 2 1/2" squares every time she added a new strip, she decided to do the same. I think the effect is quite nice. She used only florals left over from other projects.


Carol was just finishing up this Shoo-fly quilt.


(Sorry it's blurred. Either she moved or I did.) The back is fun, too.


In knitting news, DH's socks are coming along.


I think the color is more accurate in this photo. The flash didn't go off. That sometimes washes out the color somewhat. The pattern is Ann Budd's "Diagonal Cross-Rib Socks" from Interweave's Favorite Socks 25 Timeless Designs. The yarn is Stroll Tweed in "Rabbit Heather." I'm using my 2.5 mm Sunstruck dpns. (I have finished the first sock since I took this photo and CO for the second one.)
On Thursday I realized I was getting close to the toe and would need DH's foot for size. Since I didn't think he would part with it for a few hours and I needed something mindless to work on at Vintage Stitchers, I cast on Cookie A's Kai-Mei Socks. I'm using Stroll sock yarn in "Navy" to go with my new navy dress with white polka-dots that I got for our trip this summer. The cuff is mindless 3X3 ribbing. It's the foot that provides the entertainment. I'll wear these socks with sandals, so the lacy "insert" will show.
So I didn't get DH's "March of the Fibres" cast on yet, but he won't be able to wear it until next winter, so I still have some time. We will be camping this week, so I might get it started then. I decided it wasn't mindless enough to cast on at Vintage Stitchers. I want to do the corrugated ribbing that goes along with Fair Isle knitting, because the ribbing on my Dogwood Blossoms cardigan doesn't seem substantial enough, and I'm using the same yarn.
By the time you read this, I will be camping in Moab, Utah, where it's already warm. Next week's blog post should have photos of our adventure.

What's on my needles: The second Diagonal Cross-Rib Sock for DH. Also just CO Cookie A's Kai-Mei Socks. Maybe by the time you read this the ribbing for the "March of the Fibres" cardigan for DH.

What's on my wheel: Still Full Circle spinning fiber in "Pigeon." No progress this week

What's on my loom: Still some warp for another scarf. No progress this week.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Mariana by Susana Kearsley, also from the library on the Overdrive app. Spooky and romantic, its about reincarnation and a sort of time travel. Very interesting book. Finished reading Jennifer Coburn's Tales from the Crib, on the Kindle app. It was filled with unusual characters. Quirky story and fun to read. Now I'm reading Ridiculous by D. L. Carter. I wish it were available from Audible or Whispersync. It's an unusual Regency romance with hilarious dialogue. A young woman cross-dresses as her male cousin (who has just died) to try to protect her mother and sisters from being thrown out on the street by his brother, who would inherit.

What's in my wine glass: Charles Shaw Merlot, A.K.A. "Two-buck Chuck." Contraband from Oregon, and $3 a bottle, but very nice.

What's my tip of the week: I use my Chart Keeper for keeping my place on a complicated chart, but sometimes it's in use for another project or I just want to keep my place in the pattern. I often copy my pattern, so I don't have to carry around a book with me, and I put the photocopies in a plastic sheet protector. Sticky notes don't always stay put, so I fasten them on with a piece of transparent tape. The sticky note makes it possible to see where I am, and the tape keeps it from falling off. The tape and not can be easily peeled off together to move to a new spot. You can get special colored tape that will do the same thing. (BTW, there are replacement magnets for the Chart Keeper, sold separately)


Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

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