Friday, December 30, 2011

A New Year

Well, after celebrating Christmas for over a week there is now a calm moment to reflect on all the wonderful things that have happened this year.   Then on to the New!
First fun thing was putting my hand spun, hand woven and knit things in an Etsy shop.
Then I  started this blog.   I know that as a blogger I am still a newbie with lots to learn.  I am proud of the fact that I actually stuck with it all this time!  I'd like to see if I can improve upon the format, etc, in the coming year, so if you have any suggestions I welcome them.
Mama hen and her three little chicks


















I had three eggs successfully hatch and become a fine tasting dinner, a regular layer and a handsome protector of the flock, in that order.


All grown up
We had a fairly good growing year in the veggie garden.


My nephew became an ordained priest and his sister entered a convent.
John's Ordination
The juggling novitiate

















This is my niece juggling in her habit.  I understand she is getting better at it all the time and said she wanted to juggle flaming torches!  I think she probably has, by now.

We survived a tropical storm and its accompanying flood.  The storm was a bad part of 2011, but the survival was the good part.
One of the sadder things

And then it was fall and Thanksgiving.  The Bridge was opened and we went across it to have dinner at Becca and Kevin's house.  After dinner we drove back down to it and walked up to the middle of the arch for our post stuffing interlude.  It was cold, brisk and fabulous.   When we got back we ate pie.

View from the Bridge


Now Christmas is winding down.  I look forward to the New Year and all the attending projects I will embark upon.  I already have my first one percolating in my brain.  Annie would love this beautiful shawl that she found.  It is a pattern from Never Not Knitting that I purchased a while ago.  I am going to make it for her out of a blend of white and grey alpaca that will give a heathery look to the yarn once it is dyed.  I don't mind knitting other people's patterns when they are original designs like this.  It will be a fun way to start the year off--then I have a weaving idea taking shape.......gotta go!  Happy New Year to All.


Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Christmas!

Finished scarf
It really is Christmas now as we have had a family gathering, and I've been to a Christmas luncheon and we have our tree!  So now I just have to get going on baking, cards and gifts.  I have been focused on spinning and weaving the custom scarf, not wanting to hurry it, but needing to be truly mindful of it.  Now it is done and gone and I will be able to do other things.






Pretty lights
Wild and lovely
We went to my folks to cut down a tree for them.  There are many years that my brother comes up from Pennsylvania at this time of year and he will cut one for them.This year said brother was unable at the last minute to come, so Jeff and I went over to do it. The parents have many forested acres that yield white pine, red pine and cedar.  Mostly my mother loves a white pine.  I figured we would have no problem finding one for her.  Dad let Jeff take the tractor, which is  probably the second time he's let him drive it in the 20 years they've lived there, and off we went in search of trees.  Ended up with two lovely, wild, huge pines to offer Mom.  She took one, and yes, I brought home the other.  Totally not the right shape but green, graceful and Christmas! It takes up half the room with its wildness.  I love it; hopefully the girls will not be too freaked out by it.

Cat watching squirrel
Naked little squirrel
Jeff's brother Rob and family were down over the weekend for a Christmas luncheon.  My mother in law  has a trio of misfit baby squirrels coming to her window.  Rob's son is 9 with the handicap of being the only child now at our gatherings.  Luckily one of the strangest of the squirrels came along to entertain him.  And it was very entertaining, especially to the Cat.  The poor little squirrel has our sympathy, but I was grateful he was there to keep the nephew from being bored out of his skull by all us grownups.
Let Christmas now come.  May you all have a Blessed Day, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ,  being with family, enjoying this time of year and hoping that over the week of Christmas you get to be with the ones you love.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Christmas is coming!

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!
I have been busy trying to get photos and descriptions done for five more things to put in the shop just in case there are people who are looking for original handmade goodies to give to the loved ones in their lives.   I am severely hampered by the fact that my eyes have been giving me trouble due to the fact that my vision seems to have changed.  I was lucky enough to get into the eye doctors this morning and now have a new prescription in the works.  The bad thing is that I didn't want new frames so I had to leave my glasses there in order to get the new lenses put in them.  I am therefore wearing an old pair from a prescription or two ago.  Not ideal circumstances in which to try to use the keyboard!

Weft is beige alpaca and some ribbon trim
Same yarn for warp and weft
However, here are the two scarves I finished from the yarn that I was bemoaning in my last post.  I am very happy with them.  They are two very different styles and both are nice and soft.  It still is a challenge to get them photographed so that the true color comes through, although these look pretty much like they are in real life.
Other exciting news---I came home to find the scaffolding down, the tools gone and the place back to normal as the Roof is Finished!!!! Finally and At Last.  They had actually gotten the roof itself done a few days ago and were working on the clapboard replacements and chimney flashing.  I didn't take a photo yet, but it looks great.  Just in time as we had a snow last night.  I am so happy that we won't get ice dams this winter.
Now I have to get going on a custom order of a woven scarf as I haven't even spun the yarn yet.  I shall be very, very busy.  Am also finishing up a custom order hat which has been tons of fun to make.  And Christmas is coming!