Out with the Old

One week ago today it snowed.

The next day was Dusty's birthday. I was afraid it would be too muddy at Run-A-Muk dog park, but it wasn't too bad, in spite of the snow the day before.

It turned out to be a lovely day. I think we have finally turned the corner, and springtime is here. The hummingbirds sent some early scouts the day before the snow, and they have returned now in the usual numbers for this time of year.

The daffodils are up and blooming.

The daffodils and crocuses have a hard time, because we planted them right where we throw the snow from the driveway. Often the first shoots come up under the ice and can't break through, so when that glacier finally melts, we have pale leaves lying flat on the ground. They're hardy, though, and by the first week of May they usually are as happy as daffodils and crocuses can be.

I skipped Common Threads this week so I could continue to pack. We had some young men come to help us load the U-Haul boxes. They do this professionally, so they know what to do, and they're young, so they're unlikely to have medical issues as a result of lifting heavy things.

I still have some packing to do, but this is what my fiber studio looked like Saturday afternoon.

It looks like there's still a lot, but the closet, the cupboard and all the drawers and cupboards are EMPTY! The box in the middle of the room is stuff to give away. The pile of Nike boxes is to use to separate things so they don't rub together, then to recycle whatever is left over. (As the mother-in-law of a Nike employee, there will always be more Nike boxes.)

Here's something old that came out from hiding: We keep finding things, like this old photo of our two older children showing off their new Christmas gifts in 1974. Tim is playing with the cabin we made for him for his Big Josh doll. 

Karen is carrying her Baby Ann in the little baby carrier I made from the same fabric I used to make the one I used to carry her around in and later to carry her baby brother in.

Speaking of Baby Ann, you may remember her from the makeover I gave her last summer after I found her in a box.

At the time I looked for a photo of Karen carrying Baby Ann around right after she got her, but I couldn't find one then. So when you least expect....

Speaking of dolls, I didn't have much tine to knit this past week, but I'm working on another Russian dress, this time for Vroni. I wanted to test the pattern I wrote (and I've been finding lots of mistakes), as well as finding out if the skirt could be knit with dpns instead of circular needles. The best way to find out if something works is to try it. I'm hoping to be able to get the final 414 sts on 9 dpns, leaving one to knit with. That means 46 sts on each needle. This is what I have so far.

It looks like some kind of torture device, but Vroni doesn't complain.

Dolls are so much easier than children...or dogs. Our granddog Louis needed emergency surgery on Saturday for a blockage. It turned out to be the foot from his elephant (in one place) and a small dinosaur that belonged to one of the boys (in another).

He has a lot of medication to take and has to wear the dreaded "Cone of Shame" for 10-14 days. Otherwise, he seems to be doing OK.

The correct way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. There is no correct way to eat a dinosaur unless you are another dinosaur.

What's on my needles: Still the Coastal Skies, a little more progress made, and the third Russian Dress.

What's on my Featherweight: Put away in its case. I've decided to move it with the furniture. I gave away my zigzag sewing machine and plan to replace it when we get to Bend. The replacement will also be able to do straight sewing, so I won't really need my Featherweight until I get back to quilting, and I'll have access to everything by then.

What's in my hoop: Still the Spring Flowers quilt, no progress made this week.

What's on my wheel: Stanzi is still in hibernation. I may set her up in the fiber studio after we clear out all the stuff, just to make the room look like a home.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished The Miser of Mayfair by M. C. Beaton. Her books are always fun. Now listening to The Young Clementina by D. E. Stevenson, one of my favorite authors.

What's in my wine glass: Another Charles Shaw “Two-buck Chuck” Shiraz. We're trying to use up our stash, as we will be moving what we have left. I guess we need to have a party. 

What's my tip of the week: Drop a tiny piece of egg shell in the egg? The best way to get it out is with a larger piece of the shell. 

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 or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.