One Thing at a Time

The second pattern of the Which Came First Shawl is starting to be apparent. 

It's called "Chicken Feet." It's an entertaining pattern.

I finished a hoop-sized section of the whole-cloth quilt this week. Now I've moved on to another section.

We needed more kimchi. Neither Napa nor Savoy cabbage was available at the store where DH was shopping, so I settled for regular green cabbage. I've found that it works better when using regular cabbage if you cut it up into smaller pieces, as the leaves tend to be thicker than the other two varieties. The big chunks are fine, but I serve it in tiny bowls, so it will last longer, and the big pieces don't fit as well. I have read that the pickling process produces beneficial bacteria, similar to yoghurt. Of course, if you can the pickles, it kills the bacteria, so this kind of pickle has to be kept refrigerated and eaten in a fairly short time, like a week or two. Ours doesn't usually last because we eat it.

I might try pickling red cabbage sometime. 

We aren't planning to fly anywhere, but we get to see planes come in to land at the small airstrip about a block away. I was knitting on the front deck when this one came in to land. I heard the hum of the engine and grabbed my phone.

I read in the local paper that a newcomer to Bend saw this and called 911 because she thought the plane was crash-landing. Depending on the wind direction, they sometimes come in low over our street. 

So do the geese who like to graze on the field a few blocks away. They honk instead of hum.

I had to make a trip to the audiologist because I couldn't hear my audiobook out of one of my hearing aids. I was afraid something was broken or that I had wax in my ear. The technician came out to the parking lot, took both hearing aids into the lab, found that they both had wax in them. While she was cleaning them, the audiologist came out and checked my ears. No wax. When I got my hearing aids back and tested them, they were fine. Everyone wore masks.

The Wisconsin grands have been enjoying their huge swimming pool. However, they have decided that it's more fun to take turns.

This was an interesting study on the efficacy of face masks. You may have heard that a Missouri hairstylist became ill after face masks were required in the salon (for stylists and clients). A few days later a second one became ill. The 139 clients they had served were notified and followed. During the maximum incubation period of two weeks none of the clients became ill, leading to the conclusion that face masks worn by both the persons who had COVID-19 and the uninfected people who were in close contact with them prevented the spread of the virus. This would be good news if we could get everyone to wear masks when they go out.

Our zucchini plants are starting to fruit. They are already a few inches long. Here's Mandy, showing Jolena one of the blossoms, part of this week's story, The Homecoming, in which Jolena comes home from Chile and finds out all the news she missed while she was away.

The YouTube video of our virtual choir performance is now available for viewing. You can see it here, if you like. Not everyone in the choir was available or wanted to participate. I'm hoping for more from the next one.

The new microwave is working out in it's new location. I'm liking it better than the one over the stove (besides that it works).

The pups go to the groomer today and Dusty gets his teeth cleaned on Thursday. Busy week.

What's on my needles: Still the Which Came First Shawl. Some progress.

What's on my sewing machine: I'm not sure what's next for them.

What's in my hoop: Still the Whole Cloth Quilt. A little progress this week.

What's in The Doll's Storybook: The Homecoming. Jolena comes back from Chile, and the dolls catch up with each other.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Just finished listening to Mary Trump's book, Too Much and Never Enough. It was like a soap opera. Very well written, narrated by the author. I can recommend it. Back to listening to D. E. Stevenson's Mrs. Tim of the Regiment, which I left off listening to because the Trump book had come out.

What's in my wine glass: Pedroncelli Petite Sirah 2017 Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley. Nice!

What's my tip of the week: Does it get hot in your house sometimes in the summer? Have hot flashes? Get a dish towel and dampen it. Wrap it around your neck. Unless your climate is very humid, the moisture in the towel will evaporate and cool your neck. You (if you're human) have big blood vessels that come close to the skin at your neck. The towel will cool these vessels and the blood inside, carrying the cooling effect around in your body. (This is safe.)

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.

April Showers

April started with some rainy weather....

....and a Knit Along (KAL) on Ravelry using a mystery pattern. Mariah was due for more clothes, so I picked a color that would look good on her from among the few balls of yarn I had in the right thickness, DK. The designer is Sharisse Dunn of Sugar Grove South. The project doesn't have a public name yet. If you're on Ravelry, you can still participate in the KAL, which lasts through the end of April, although it's no longer a mystery, because there have been a few finished projects posted.

The yarn is City Tweed DK in Jacquard from Knit Picks. For the capelet, I didn't have any DK in a color that would be good with the dress, so I used Knit Picks Palette held double. The color is Calypso Heather. The buttons were among some I bought in Germany during one of our trips to Europe.

Participants in the March KAL received a lovely pattern free from the designer who was the sponsor, Jacqueline Gibb. It's called Fiesta Fun. I started it last week and then put it aside to make the outfit for the April KAL. I made it for Vroni, who is pretending to be a Flamenco dancer, complete with castanets.

I think we need a story to go with this photo.

I've started another Wonderland Turtle. It's for Charlotte. I'm using Palette again, this time in Fuchsia.

Speaking of stories, in this week's story in The Doll's Storybook, Charlotte and Billy take their dogs for a walk and begin to wonder what makes the seasons change.

I managed to get in a little bit of hand-quilting this week. There is still a lot to go, but here's a look at what I'm quilting. It's my Spring Flowers quilt, hand-pieced and hand-appliquéd.

The stop-motion film Missing Link comes out Friday (April 12th). Be sure to see it if you can, and stay for the credits. Our younger son worked on the film. "Peter Stuart" should be under Special Effects. Here's the link to the trailer...which is not missing. We're planning on going on Friday.

The grandkids are growing up. Here's a shot of Zachary playing soccer/football. (He's the one in the red cap.) His birthday is today (April 8th). 
Happy birthday, Zachary!

We had a rainbow yesterday (besides the rainbow of colors in my fabric and yarn stash, which is always with me). This one showed up when I was on my way to church on Sunday, courtesy of the rain. I snapped the photo while waiting for a train to go by, so no laws were broken.

With rain every day, we still managed to fit in a walk almost every day, during breaks in the weather.
What's on my needles: The Coastal Skies Shawl. Every week I knit a couple of rows on it. I think it will be big. Also the new turtleneck, called The Final Turtleneck of the Season. Lotte (Charlotte) is due for something new, so this one is for her.

What's on my sewing machine: Getting ready to start sewing for Daphne's birthday doll.

What's in my hoop: Still the Spring Flowers quilt. I managed to make a little progress on it this week.

What's in The Doll's Storybook: It's Spring. What causes the seasons? The dolls ask Mandy.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Frankenstein, Lost Souls by Dean Koontz and then Frankenstein, The Dead Town, also by Koontz. That was the last of the series. Then I listened to School for Psychics, by K. C. Archer. It was an interesting story, but a little too Young Adult for my interests. It was a Daily Deal from Audible. I probably won't get the next one, even though the story was left hanging. Next I listened to The Darkwater Bride by Marty Ross. This book is a freebie for members from Audible. We get some choices each month. It's performed like radio theater, with several actors playing the various parts. It's a good story. Rather Hitchcock-ish. Now listening to Sherwood Smith's Revenant Eve.

What's in my wine glass: Starlight Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. You can almost taste the gum trees in this Australian wine.

What's my tip of the week: Do your shoes come untied? Here's a quick and easy way to tie them so they stay tied, but you can still pull the ends to untie. I think the person demonstrating the technique is left-handed, but you can get the idea. You start out tying the shoe the normal way, but you put the loop through twice. I learned this technique back in the mid-'70s from our older son's teacher. I've tied my shoes this way ever since.

https://youtu.be/YwqQvKtmefE

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.

Three Years Before the Mast

Ah, the call of the sea!

We should be ending up our visit in Finland and getting ready to return home right about now. Internet is unpredictable on our travels, so instead of my usual fiber fun I've written this blog post ahead of time about the three years we lived aboard a small sailboat and how we got to be there.

When I was in 7th grade, my father bought an old wooden sailboat. It was 30' long, not counting the bow sprit, which is where I liked to hang out. The following two summers, we sailed around Cape Cod. We would pull into a port, my father would take the train to work in Boston and then return a few days later to sail to another port. We had a lot of adventures, and I loved it.

Fast forward to 1970. DH decided to go back to school after working for an oil company for four years. I came up with the idea of buying a sailboat to live on, using the proceeds from the sale of our then current home. After he got used to the idea, he agreed. He applied to schools on the coast of California where there were suitable harbors and settled on the University of California at Santa Barbara. We found a sailboat we could afford big enough to live on (barely), a Columbia 26, and acquired a slip in the harbor.

This is not our actual boat, but it was identical to this one, 26' long, with no bow sprit. We named her Neptune's Revenge, because DH got seasick at first.

We were able to get power and telephone, but needed to haul ice for refrigeration. We used an alcohol stove for cooking. I used a cart to carry our groceries, laundry and ice down the dock to our slip, about as long as a city block.

Our Timo was 2 1/2 when we got the boat. All his toys had to fit into a small hamper. He slept on a berth that made up into a couch in the daytime. We could bathe him in the sink if we had to.  He went to daycare while I worked. The bathrooms were on shore, as we were not allowed to flush into the harbor, and the water in the showers was often cold. I did a lot of knitting and learned to crochet. We had just enough room on the floor of our hanging locker for my Featherweight.

Timo started swimming lessons at the nearby pool. He soon turned into a fish.

DH decided to do his dissertation on the San Onofre Breccia, a rock formation that is found along the California coast and on the islands offshore. During the summer vacations, we would take off and sail to locations where this rock is found. He would row ashore and do his field work, taking our standard poodle, Tammy, with him. Timo and I would sit in the cockpit and read library books or fish, or we would climb into the water and swim. If there was a beach, we would go play in the water and make sandcastles.

When Timo was five, our daughter Karen was born. We put her bassinet on one of the seats at the table, but she mostly slept with us in the berth in the fo'c's'le. She liked to read with Daddy up there, too.

In nice weather we could hang her Johnny Jump Up from the main boom, so it could hang down through the hatch for use. She started swimming lessons at three months, and soon she could swim like a fish, too. Learning to walk was easy for her, because she could reach from one berth to another easily. 

Sailing with an additional child was a little more complicated, especially when I was needed to hold the tiller. Timo work a life preserver all the time the hatch was open or while walking on the dock, and when we sailed he was also tethered to the boat. Tammy wasn't though, and sometimes she would decide to go for a swim, so we would have to come about to pick her up.

By the time Karen was walking well, we moved off the boat. Not long after that, we moved inland, to start new adventures. I've never regretted my three years aboard the Neptune's Revenge.

Summer Reruns

I'm on vacation, so I have some special blog posts scheduled.

Today you will get to read more about our vacation in Oregon in July, 2011, which included the quilt show at Sisters on July 9th. You can see all my photos from this event here. I thought you might enjoy another look at it, since it's coming up next weekend. If you are close enough to go, do so. it's well worth it.

The quilt above (from 2011) was my favorite, but there were a number of quilts that were close to beating this one out! On top of that, some of the ladies from Gees Bend were there, signing their book and occasionally breaking into song. Here are some of them in front of The Stitchin' Post, the quilt (and yarn) shop that sponsors the show.

The quilt show was a girls' bonding experience with my new DDIL, who is a knitter, but not a quilter. She enjoyed the quilts, though, and was impressed with the variety.

These two little girls proved that life doesn't have to hand you lemons before you could make "Lemon aid." I think they were giving away more photos than selling their product, though.

For you spinners, the Tour de Fleece started shortly after we left on our trip. Stanzi, my beloved Kromski Sonata spinning wheel went along. Together we completed 88 gms. of Stroll spinning fiber from Knit Picks.

It was some I had dyed recently using food coloring. Here's what my finished yarn looked like. My three-ply was 150 yds and 15 WPI, so close to the fingering weight I was aiming for.

Remember the little supported spindle I picked up at a friend's garage sale? I'm still looking for a good support for it*, but a plate works fine, and I'm getting a very fine singles from it. I can even use it as a drop spindle once some twist has built up. This is some of the 100% merino I had left over from the Pacapoo I blended before Christmas.

*The spinner I bought it from actually had a little pedestal for it. No need to find a support.

Last week I mentioned my trip to the Beaverton Fresenius dialysis clinic to help Eevi Emminger, founder of Mitts of Steal, deliver fingerless mitts to patients. The pair I had just finished was snatched up by this patient, hot off the needles, and a hot colorway, too. This is the only photo I have of these mitts. I used Lorna's Laces sport weight superwash yarn.

Another knitting project, Daphne's Bees' Knees cardigan from Mary Scott Huff's The New Stranded Colorwork, is coming along. I'm using Knit Picks Stroll tonal and bare, and some old Knit Picks Essential from my stash. Since this photo was taken, I have finished the body and am ready to start on the sleeves, but I got sidetracked with some socks to work on during my trip to Portland for Sock Summit next week.

The pups go to the groomer tomorrow, thank Heaven! They are quite scraggly from all the fun while camping, as you can see from this photo taken at Suttle Lake, near Sisters.

For cuteness this week, though, I offer up this photo of the newlyweds in front of their new vacation home:

Yes, we went with them on their honeymoon. (Actually, they are planning a "Minimoon" to Crater Lake later on. This was sort of a dry run for setting up the tent.) They have no air mattresses, so they borrowed the seat cushions from our dining area in the trailer. Very comfy!

                           <---------------------------------->

July, 2015:

Boy, does this bring back memories. As you read this, DH and I should be on the Rhine River on the Viking Sun, possibly docked at Breisach, Germany, celebrating our 50th anniversary a couple of months ahead of the September 15th date. Daphne has grown out of her Bees Knees sweater, and so has her younger brother, Zachary. DS2 and DDIL2 have two children, Soren and Johan. Rocky and Sunny are living the good life at Camp Barkalot in Salt Lake City, where they get to play with new friends until we get back. Watch for special blog posts while we're gone and some fun photos from our trip when we get back.

What's on my needles: The Coral Reef Shawl and the Fair Isle Flower Socks. Watch for posts/updates with progress, if I have Internet
What's on my iPad: Still Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carrier. Also The Poignant Sting: Homage to Jane Austen's Emma, by Sherwood Smith on the Kindle app.
What's my app of the week: Blogger. It finally works well.
What's in my wine glass: The big bottle of Nathanson Creek Merlot. I've mentioned it before, but with the frog on the label makes me think this would be a good wine to drink if you have to frog your knitting project. (For nonknitters, "frogging" means you have to "rip-it, rip-it."


Note: This blog post was produced entirely on the iPad and its big brother, the MacBook. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for or cleaned.

Finishing, Starting and the Progress In-between

The Johan Socks are finished and on my feet!

As mentioned in my March 23rd blog post, I made the bottom of the heels double-stranded. The yarn is Stroll Tweed in "Flagstone Heather."

I went for a walk in these socks and couldn't feel the thicker part, so I will be doing this on future socks. Almost immediately, I cast on Cookie A's "Sunshine" socks.

The first sock is moving right along:


This pattern is from her book Sock Innovation and the yarn is Regia 4-fädig with the exciting color name "00017," which I would describe as a pale tan. I really need some neutral-colored socks, so this was next on my list.

The book came out six years ago and was the subject of an active KAL on the Knitting Community. The first printing had a lot of errata, which I dutifully printed off and stuck in my book. I had planned to have it spiral-bound, with a pocket for all the errata, when I discovered that there was a Kindle version of the book, with the errors fixed, available for not much more than the spiral-binding would cost. I added the book to my iPad, which I plan to take with me when DH and I take our trip to Europe this summer to celebrate our survival of 50 years together (wedding anniversary in September). I had planned to take the book as well as the iPad, because socks are a very portable project, perfect for the plane and other sitting around. Now I have the book on my iPad, which weighs the same as it did before I downloaded the book.

In the fiber studio, the final Pine Burr block, #16, is done.


From the blocks, I moved on to the paper-pieced cornerstones (don't know what else to call them). There are 36. I made about 15 a day. I've found that with paper-piecing, the first few go together slowly, while I figure out how to do it. Then they move along nicely.


Now I'm putting together the sashing, pieced and solid cornerstones, and blocks.

Common Threads met his week at Georgette's. She lives just up the street from me, so I walked, in spite of the snow.

Karan brought her hot-air balloon mobile project.


Janalee made this Roundabout Ribbed Baby Vest for a friend's baby.


Margareth is making the Picot Boo Cardigan.

She just got a great deal on a new expensive and fancy sewing machine. I can't wait to see what she does with it.

Thursday we (DH and I) celebrated the 50th anniversary of the day we became engaged. I posted this on Facebook:

April 2, 1965.
Charlie: I don't want to get married.
Me: Who asked you?
Charlie: How about September?
Me: For what?
Charlie: The wedding.
Me: Are you sure?
Charlie: Yes.
Me. OK. [Kisses.] You should have asked me yesterday.
Charlie: Why?
Me: Yesterday was April Fool's Day.
Charlie: I thought today was April Fool's Day!
Lesson—
Always know what day it is.
#TBT

I'm not the only one in the family with a sense of humor. Maybe that's one reason we've lasted 50 years.

Sunday's Easter service included some great music fairly well performed by our choir

For some added Cuteness, here's Zachary (who will be three on Wednesday) and Daphne in their new hand-me-down jammies.

What's on my needles: Working on the "April Sunshine" socks. No progress on the second "Martha Washington's Wreath" appliqué block for my First Ladies quilt this week, but worked on hand quilting my "Spring Flowers" quilt.

What's on my Featherweight: Pine Burr quilt, putting blocks and sashing together.

What's on my wheel: Full Circle spinning fiber in "Pigeon."

What's on my loom: Still some warp for another scarf.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Wards of Faerie, The Dark Legacy of Shannara, by Terry Brooks, which was a special deal from Audible. It kept me interested. I think I may have to get more in the series. (My public library has some of them.) now I'm listening to the third in the "Bloody Jack" series by L. A. Meyer, Under the Jolly Roger, from the library on the Overdrive app. Still reading Jennifer Coburn's Tales from the Crib, on the Kindle app. New to my Kindle app is Cookie A's Sock Innovation (as mentioned above).

What's in my wine glass: Concannon Selected Vinyards Petite Syrah 2012, one of our favorites, and great with chocolate.

What's my tip of the week: If you brush your dogs teeth, it will reduced the number of times they need cleaning at the vet's. Since I started brushing our pups' teeth several years ago, they haven't needed professional cleaning at all, and I've just found out we can go another year. This saves money and helps them avoid exposure to anesthesia. Two things I've learned about brushing their teeth: 1) Only the outside surfaces of the teeth need brushing, so you can hold their jaws shut and reach inside each cheek, thus avoiding tongue action. The back teeth are more important. 2) Our pups are used to having their teeth brushed right before we go to bed, so they don't resist. Most dogs are creatures of habit and will get used to an activity that's repeated at regular intervals or under the same circumstances. I use (human) baby toothbrushes for them, because they're fairly small dogs. You can buy doggy toothpaste online or at pet stores. I brush each side for about 35 seconds.


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.

Cutting Up and Getting Out

The main activity for this week was my "Reflections of Butterflies in Lemonade" quilt top.



I started this quilt on Tuesday. It's the Disappearing Hourglass block from Missouri Star's Quilt Block magazine, the latest issue. There's also a video of how to make it on YouTube.

In the magazine, they show you how you can rotate every other block 90° and end up with a secondary design, and that's what I did. The instructions called for using layer cakes (precut 10" squares), but I realized that this would yield a block with bias edges...not my favorite thing. You put a light square and a dark one together, sew around the outside and cut diagonally twice, corner to corner, which gives you four half-square triangles (HSTs). I figured out that 7 1/4" squares would give you two HSTs about the right size, and you can fit them onto a fat eighth, of which I had several I wanted to use. It takes two of these 7 1/4" squares each of the background and foreground to make a block this way. You sew the HSTs together to make the hourglass block, then cut into 9 patches, which you rotate and sew back together. Fun and easy, with a few precautions. Here's what I learned about making this quilt: 

1) Don't listen to an audiobook when you're first learning how to sew and cut the blocks. If you cut one wrong, you either have to start over, and the waste the fabric, or you have to resort to templates [shudder] or do some serious math and cut pieces out of scraps.

2) When you sew the blocks together always have the light triangle in the same upper corner.

3) When you repress the seams that don't fit when you sew the block together, always press them in the same way.

My Delectable Pathways is coming along. I'm appliquéing the leaves that cross over seams into the pieced blocks. The first panel is done, and I'm working on the second. Julie tells me that her store, where I bought the background fabric, closed in 2004, so I've actually been working on this quilt for ten years! So I've decided to rename it "Peggy's Sistine Chapel."

Vintage Stitchers met at Diane's last week. Marilyn and Brenda are working on the same machine-appliqué birds.

Barbara has finished her "Witches in Stitches" quilt top. We discussed how to have it quilted. Julie, who is a professional quilter, says you can quilt right over the embroidered parts if you use the background color.


Here's the fun back:


Marilyn was working on this batik appliqué:


And here's Rebecca's appliqué:


Daphne and Zachary are now in the same day care, which, for Daphne is preschool. They go to the University of Wisconsin. (Why not start at the top? This way, when they want to go to college, their parents can say they already sent them to a top university.)

This is Zachary, showing off his new backpack and his haircut. (Yes, his hair was longer.)

Our newcomer, Johan, occasionally opens his eyes now.

Finally, our sweet Rocky turned 10 yesterday! (That's 10 in human years!) We took a hike to celebrate. He's in good health, so I have great hopes that he will be with us for 6-7 years yet. Rocky is the most human dog we've ever had, and we love him to bits! (This photo was from last spring, but it was the best recent portrait of him.)

The weather was nice, and we made it to the Fairy Tree in Toll Canyon with friends. (Rocky's the one with the fancy beads, which we left at the Fairy Tree.)

What's on my needles: Still Cat Bordhi's "Bavarian Twisted Stitch" socks from her book, Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles, aka the Johan Socks. Someone in the Knitting Community reminded me that I also have Mr. Foster on the needles. I should really give "the elusive Mr. F." (from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin) priority. Still sewing the leaves on my Delectable Pathways.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Still listening to The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness, also from Audible. Also still reading Joseph Lallo's The Book of Deacon from Book Bub.

What's my app of the week: Public Radio. You can select your favorite PBS station and listen to it in real time.

What's in my wine glass: Amberhill Secret Blend 2010. One of my faves.

What's my tip of the week: Did you know you can use your iPhone as a hotspot for your computer or iPad? Go into "Settings," tap "Cellular." Select "Personal Hotspot." Follow the directions. Of course, this will count towards your data usage, if you have a plan that has limits.

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.