Life Goes On

Johan’s I-spy quilt top is finished:

I dropped it off at the quilter and picked up my “Seeing Stars,” based on Connecting Threads’ kit “Clara’s Journey.”

Now I’m working on sewing on the binding. There were some nice quilts at Vintage Stitchers, but my phone died before I got there, so I don’t have any photos. I have stopped taking my camera, because my phone takes better photos. A quick stop at a nearby Simply Mac after the meeting put it to rights again. I should be able to fix it myself next time.

Common Threads met on May 3rd. Margareth brought this great weaving project for show-and-tell.

The second bobbin of Full Circle singles I started for the first The Frog Prince and the Knitting Community Orphans Spin-in was finished...

...and the two bobbins plied.

The Vicenza Shawl is almost done. I'm using Knit Picks Hawthorn in "Lovejoy."

The first performance of Beethoven’s Ninth went well. I somehow managed to get home in time to get ready and then meet up with my carpool. Sunday night we had another dress rehearsal in a new location. We’ll have performances the next two nights. 

The Knitting Community closed down. It was sad, but we will always have our memories, and the new Ravelry group The Frog Prince and the Knitting Community Orphans.

Daphne’s birthday was Saturday. It’s hard to believe she’s already six! Saturday was going to be filled with dance rehearsals and other kids’ birthday celebrations, so we had FaceTime on Friday. Both Daphne and Zachary were delighted with the little clothes for Daphne Jr., as well as the bed, chair and ottoman. Daphne was mostly offstage during our visit, but I got this screen shot of Zachary trying out the chair.

Most of the week was spent reflecting on Sunny’s life and what she brought to others. I know we need to spend some time grieving, and we’re allowing ourselves time to do that. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of sympathy and empathy from friends and family, both in person, through the mail and online. 

Some of the most important lessons in life I've learned from my dogs. Every dog I've had in my life has taught me something. I think that’s one reason dogs don’t live as long as humans. We need experience with at least several dogs over time to learn the lessons we need to learn about ourselves, our interaction with others and life in general.

From Sunny, I've learned (among other things) the following:

Life is short; greet every new day with joy and enthusiasm.

Greet everyone who arrives at your home as if he/she were an old friend you haven't seen in years, but bark at them if they walk by without coming in, especially if they have a dog with them.

No matter how fast you wag your tail, it will not fly off your butt.

You will never run out of kisses, no matter how many you give away, but only give them to those who appreciate them.

Work to keep your pack together.

Every side is your good side.

Kibble. Yum!

Dishes should always be prerinsed before they go into the dishwasher.

Here's just a little of what I've learned from Rocky:

People food is better than dog food.

There's nothing like a cuddle on the couch or a view of the street while sitting on the porch with a friend.

Always come when you hear "carrot."

A ball thrown to the middle of the pond must be retrieved, but on land, you just have to show your humans where it landed. They will pick it up.

Looking before you leap is greatly overrated. The joy of soaring through the air is worth the risk of what's on the other side of that log.

Dishes should always be prerinsed before they go into the dishwasher. Preferably with a friend to help.

We will never be able to replace Sunny; every dog is unique, and the variations in personality seem even greater in poodles. However, Sunny will have a successor when we recover financially and when we are ready to give our time to a puppy. 

As if life couldn't get any more complicated, on Sunday, after leaving the opera on our way to drop me off at rehearsal for Beethoven's Ninth, this happened:

Just one of those things. No one was hurt, fortunately, but both cars probably totaled. The blame was probably evenly divided between the drivers.

What's on my needles: Still hand-quilting the “Delectable Pathways” quilt. Working on the the Vicenza Lace Shawl. Still have Aran sweater for Daphne Jr. and socks on needles.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vicenza-lace-shawl 

What's on my Featherweight: Waiting for the next project.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

What's in my wine glass: Lindemann’s Cawarra Shiraz-Cabernet 2014. Very nice.

What's my tip of the week: When making a 4-patch or 9-patch, alternating straight of grain and width of fabric patches will make the block more uniformly flexible, in case you have to ease to fit other pieces. Of course, the pattern on the fabric doesn’t always allow it to get the effect you want, but when it does, it can make life easier.

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.

Annie Get Your Knitting Needles

It has NOT been a quiet week here. First, there were the Sundance shifts, but I had some knitting time during some of them, so here's my progress:


I'm on the first sleeve, but this photo was taken before the Super Bowl game, so it's a little further along now.

I had three shifts at the Sundance Film Festival, which is over, but I have one shift (today) left to work, "The Best of the Fest" for locals, to compensate them for having to put up with the Festival.

The piecing of the first quilt top of the new year, "Seeing Stars," is done.

The pattern is "Clara's Journey" from Connecting Threads.

As you can see, this quilt is too big for my design wall. The finished quilt is 91.5" square. Now I have to decide how I want to have it quilted.

The big news, though, is the addition to the family (at least those living in the house), DGD1, who has come to live with us. She made a great addition to the church choir, which was in need of altos. We sat where the altos and sopranos meet, and I took a selfie of us:

She went with me to Common Threads on Thursday, CO a scarf, and had several inches done by the time we left. We're going to have fun knitting together. I had to help her make room in the guest room for her clothes, which took some time. I think she's pretty well settled in, though. She's been here before, but just for a week at a time.

We watched the Annie Awards Saturday night online. For your weekly cuteness, here are DS2 and DDIL2, sitting in the audience:

DS2 and his team were nominated for "Animated Effects in an Animated Production." They didn't win, but the film he was nominated for, The Boxtrolls, won two awards. There are five people on his team, and they would each have won an award. Too bad they didn't win, but not bad for first time out, and it was exciting that they got to go to the awards. Their boys were staying with the other grandparents. The lucky ones who live near them.

What's on my needles: Brick Cardigan, first sleeve started.

What's on my Featherweight: "Seeing Stars" quilt top done.

What's on my loom: Some warp for another scarf, but still folded up.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still listening to In the Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotsen. Finished And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander, paperback.  I've decided I want to read more by the same author. This was the first of the "Lady Emily" series. They are mysteries. I have several books from Book Bub on my iPad, but haven't started one yet.

What's my app of the week: iBooks, which allowed me to download and keep the Annies program.

What's in my wine glass: Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 vintage. Very nice.

What's my tip of the week: A quilt batt that stays together well (such as Warm & Natural) makes a great design wall. I sewed a hem at the top and bottom of time and ran a batten through each, to keep it flat. I have hooks at each side of the top of the closet in my fiber studio, so I can rest one of the battens on it. If I had to, I could roll up quilt blocks and all to store. I can put blocks and pieces on the design wall without using pins, but strips and bigger sections stay put better with pins. I think an old blanket would work, and I've heard of people using the back side of a plastic tablecloth, the kind with a flannel backing.


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.

Dancing in the Sun

I'm making use of the new LED light for my Featherweight, which is back out of its case and on the job.


The piecing of the first quilt top of the new year, "Seeing Stars," is almost done. Here's the photo I took of the first block, ready to put together.


The pattern is "Clara's Journey" from Connecting Threads.

The center nine-patches and the primary fabrics in the big stars are scrappy, but otherwise I've been consistent in the use of fabrics. All that's left to do is the borders, which will finish the outer small stars, with an outer border of the off-white background fabric.


The turquoise was sort of a daring feat for me. I'm branching out. (I still love traditional and vintage reproduction fabrics, though.)

The Sundance Film Festival has started again, and I've served one shift (on Saturday) of the four I have planned. I have another one this afternoon/evening.

I always take something to work on, in case I have some down time on the job. Saturday I was assigned "exit/re-entry, which gets pretty quiet after the film starts, so I got some knitting done. I've been making good progress on my Brick Cardigan. (The pattern is "Aleph" by Hannah Cuviello.)

We went to the opera yesterday, so I had the trip down to SLC and during the opera to work on it.



Our older granddaughter is coming for a visit and will be here when I get home from my shift. I see sushi and more knitting in my future....

What's on my needles: Brick Cardigan, good progress.

What's on my Featherweight: "Seeing Stars" quilt, center done, just the borders to go.

What's on my loom: Some warp for another scarf, but still folded up.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished The President's Pilot by Robert Gandt, and Home from the Sea by Mercedes Lackey. Now listening to In the Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotsen. Still reading And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander, not on the iPad for once but a paperback version I picked up at a rummage sale.

What's my app of the week: Southwest, for flight information, etc.

What's in my wine glass: A Chianti this time, Livingston Cellars.

What's my tip of the week: There are a number of apps that let you make calls through the Internet without charge, which is handy if you live in the mountains and have poor or no cell service in your home or you're visiting a place where you have access to WiFi but don't have service. Some of these apps allow you to use your own cell phone number.


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.