Here's a photo of my latest project - hat and mitts from homespun and commercial yarns. Since there's yarn left? A matching hat is on its way!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Full Moon Flooding
Okay. It's not a real picture, but this is pretty close to what the moon looked like Wednesday night after the blizzard. Maybe some 'moon dogs' (reddish/yellowish crystals encircling the moon) and a stark white landscape. But this is pretty much what it looked like then. And almost like this when I drove in this morning before the sun came up. I'm not playing Pollyanna's Glad Game - the crystal clear nights are worth the cold. (Most of the time.)We are definitely getting signs of Spring up here. Flood forecasts are out. It's not just me; flooding is in the news more this year than last. Fargo is going to get creamed. Because the Red River (of the North) flows north, we'll get the Fargo water, but our river channel is wider here so we can take more water (so I've read). The prediction is more than 70% that we'll get a major flood, which will likely close two of the three car bridges to/from East Grand Forks. The railroad bridge will get flooded, too. But the flood wall and dikes are supposed to take us to the 50+ feet marker.
I looked around my place this morning and decided: anything that gets left behind will be thrown out if we get flooded. I can't deal with sewage and mold and the various other offal things that wander in with flood water. So now is the time to figure out what's important and what isn't. I guess preparing for floods is the ultimate spring cleaning!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
EZ surprise jacket
Finished! Paton's Kroy sock yarn. LUV the color of the variegated. Found it by chance at Michaels after reading that they now carried sock yarn. Went back to buy more...gone. Clerk not really clear on if they would be getting more. With the economy as it is, I guess I should be happy that they're still here.
Still. It's beautiful.
Still. It's beautiful.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Close call!
My (almost) worst nightmare happened last night: My car got unplugged.
I'm sure there was no malice - someone must have tripped over the cord as they walked by. (All the cars are plugged in with cords that cross the sidewalk and plug into the building. Not great design.)
The car definitely was not sure that it wanted to start but just at the point where I had to decide to continue turning the key - and taking the chance of totally killing the battery - or stopping, the car turned over and started. WHEW! The temps won't get high today, so I'll be out starting and warming it up.
Last night I finally got pictures taken of things I will send out via Macuwita Sni. The handspun Romney shawl is the big item. Roving from The Fold and the wonderful Toni Neil. Great person - super teacher - excellent vendor.
This cold spell has been hard on more than cars. The bunny pictured earlier has been around. He's not crazy about the 'wild life' food I bought for him. I saw a peanut shell, neatly opened. The raw uneaten peanut sitting there. Even its red covering had been removed. All carefully left behind. Uneaten. And s/he doesn't like corn either. I'll get some bird seed. That seemed to get eaten. By something.
The squirrels have built tunnels in the snow. I discovered that when I put some seed out under a tree - heard a squeek and saw a flash that disappeared. Eventually tracked it to a snow burrow. Pretty smart use of the environment! There's not going to be much thawing until April.
Wow. That is a depressing thought. I notice that I'm knitting with bright colors now. Must be a reaction to all this white! Luv the Romney shawl, but I admit I wanted to throw it in a dye pot and give it some zip!
I'm sure there was no malice - someone must have tripped over the cord as they walked by. (All the cars are plugged in with cords that cross the sidewalk and plug into the building. Not great design.)
The car definitely was not sure that it wanted to start but just at the point where I had to decide to continue turning the key - and taking the chance of totally killing the battery - or stopping, the car turned over and started. WHEW! The temps won't get high today, so I'll be out starting and warming it up.
Last night I finally got pictures taken of things I will send out via Macuwita Sni. The handspun Romney shawl is the big item. Roving from The Fold and the wonderful Toni Neil. Great person - super teacher - excellent vendor.
This cold spell has been hard on more than cars. The bunny pictured earlier has been around. He's not crazy about the 'wild life' food I bought for him. I saw a peanut shell, neatly opened. The raw uneaten peanut sitting there. Even its red covering had been removed. All carefully left behind. Uneaten. And s/he doesn't like corn either. I'll get some bird seed. That seemed to get eaten. By something.
The squirrels have built tunnels in the snow. I discovered that when I put some seed out under a tree - heard a squeek and saw a flash that disappeared. Eventually tracked it to a snow burrow. Pretty smart use of the environment! There's not going to be much thawing until April.
Wow. That is a depressing thought. I notice that I'm knitting with bright colors now. Must be a reaction to all this white! Luv the Romney shawl, but I admit I wanted to throw it in a dye pot and give it some zip!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Bunny catching some rays!
Look what I saw when I opened my curtains this morning: A bunny, soaking up some rays! Obviously a very smart bunny, resting its back against a black rubber heat-attracting tire. (And his brilliance was reinforced by the fact that he took off when my neighbor showed up to get in her car.)
Post celebration shock. Or maybe it's mid-celebration befuddlement. There's so much to do and yet it's intersession - aren't we all supposed to be on vacation, taking life easy?
Post celebration shock. Or maybe it's mid-celebration befuddlement. There's so much to do and yet it's intersession - aren't we all supposed to be on vacation, taking life easy?
Monday, December 08, 2008
It's beginning ...
Christmas - front window/yard
Originally uploaded by fiberbrarian
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Snow and lights and cold. (and somebody's bike on the front porch)
I'm on vacation - just stopping in to empty the camera and check e-mail/Ravelry.
Not too much going on outside ... can you see my new green extention cord? The car LUVS being plugged in! Starts right off. And I love the lime green cord. Makes me happy just looking at it.
I'm sending off a big box to Macuwita sni today. Here's the contents:
17 hats, 7 mittens, and 1 scarf. I had hoped to find someplace to send them in North Dakota, but it's getting too late and too cold to hold out for preferences! These knits want to warm someone - NOW!
Off to the post office ....
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Christmas knitting
I am spurred to write this because of the Yarn Harlot's annual I've got the Christmas knitting undercontrol post. This year's Unstoppable was posted Monday, Dec. 1...basically spitting into the wind.
My holiday knitting plan is different. I knit - and then decide who gets the item. A very simple solution. This comes from many years spent laboring over hand-quilted, -sewn, -crocheted, and -knitted gifts that have been treated as if they were bought at WalMart.* I admit to several post-holiday times when I'd find my carefully made item in the kids' toy box or under a plant or somehow in harm's way. It took me years to finally realize and accept that most people mean well - but they have been raised in a throw-away society.
This year's holiday knitting goes to afghans for Afghans and Macuwita Sni (South Dakota).
And maybe I should start thinking about my New Year's resolutions -
*NB: I do have a few people (only one of which is a Muggle, though) that appreciate and respect my labor. They've been known to get a present or two from me.
My holiday knitting plan is different. I knit - and then decide who gets the item. A very simple solution. This comes from many years spent laboring over hand-quilted, -sewn, -crocheted, and -knitted gifts that have been treated as if they were bought at WalMart.* I admit to several post-holiday times when I'd find my carefully made item in the kids' toy box or under a plant or somehow in harm's way. It took me years to finally realize and accept that most people mean well - but they have been raised in a throw-away society.
We'll buy another one later.And when they see all the cheap handmade items in the stores (and don't see all the poorly paid labor that went into making them) no wonder they don't respect my gifts! I'm not holding myself up as someone beyond this mentality! I can be just as wasteful as the next guy. But I am learning. And I am drawing a line.
This year's holiday knitting goes to afghans for Afghans and Macuwita Sni (South Dakota).
And maybe I should start thinking about my New Year's resolutions -
- be more public in my knitting/quilting/spinning
- start teaching these arts and crafts
*NB: I do have a few people (only one of which is a Muggle, though) that appreciate and respect my labor. They've been known to get a present or two from me.
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