It's Raining

“May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart might desire.”

Irish Blessing

Here's looking at you through a new computer and monitor, raising my mug of tea. I didn't realise my old computer was ten years young until I took it apart trying to mend a problem. It had been a gift from my Father and had belonged to my Uncle Larry, it got me through for quite a while. I figured since our House and Senate finally did their job, did the right thing, and got together on the budget to keep the government running, I might as well splurge on a new one, a celebration of sorts. So, I am back online.The new mug on my desk, brought back from...well, you know. I have never been there, but am told often I NEED to go. How great are friends who remember you when they are out having so much fun. Thanks, Pete and Kim!

I have new yarn from Scotland, too. I need to take pictures of the beautiful yarns that came recently while I didn't have picture capability. Thanks, Bev!! She added some really pretty earrings that she made herself. They will be in my next post.

I am going through another flare, so I have been doing a little knitting and a little reading. My Mom & Dad sent me a care package of books. Iris Johansen is a current favorite.

This is reclaimed yarn. It came a while ago, but my camera and old computer didn't like to speak to each other. This lovely sport weight yarn started life as an unwanted sweater. Erica, the woman who rescued it, dyed the sweater first and then unraveled 226 yards of kettle dyed rainbow continuum. What a great idea. Check out PirateCatYarns over at Etsy. Notice the cute tiny skein of alpaca she included.

I still love my hand dyed sock yarns from Qutecowgirl best. The socks above are from a skein she named Manly. The toes and heals were some of the yarn I dyed using Kool-aid and tea.

I told you I have been doing a little knitting. These are for me. I refused to wear them until I could get the pictures off the camera and onto the blog. When I am out of her yarn, it will be a sad day.

Take care and God bless.

Sunday Comes Back Around Again

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
Albert Einstein

A long, long time ago, in a land still far from here, my Grandmother taught me to knit. It was the summer I spent with her and my Grandfather, the year I turned fourteen. I learned to knit socks some years later, in a tiny village in Germany. Almost two decades ago, I entered thirteen items in the Sioux Empire Fair and brought home fourteen ribbons. A sweater I knit for my young daughter with blackberries and cables took Best In Show. What a moment that was.

This is my sweater from a class I am taking through Athena Fibers in Sioux Falls. I still love to take classes. I always learn something new, like spit splicing, and I always enjoy the company of other knitters. I enjoy watching others knit as much as I love to do it myself.
I was lucky enough and smart enough to sign up for a sock class. Not just any sock class, but a toe up, short row heel, magic loop sock class. This was a class of many firsts for me. I learned how to do a sewn bind off. It was my pleasure to take this class from a lovely woman named Mary and I am hoping she will give another class soon. Do a great thing for yourself, I encourage you to sign up for a class.
And now...for something I really like. It is no secret I love hand thrown pottery. I have combined this beautiful yarn bowl with my current favorite hobby. Now, if I could just find enough time to get these KoolAid socks finished.

A Good Mystery Is Fun

When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me the mystery of the universe.' But God answered, 'that knowledge is for me alone.' So I said, 'God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said, 'Well, George, that's more nearly your size.'
George Washington Carver

Kirsten over at Through The Loops is having a Sockoberfest Mystery. It is a fun little lace pattern, very well written. It was very generous of her to share. She just uploaded the heel, week 3, last Thursday. I really do need to catch up. I need to take a better picture of the little pottery yarn bowl to show you. I found it on Etsy in the Soaringstudios Shop. This beautiful little bowl is perfect for the sock knitter and this one was made specifically for me. She will make them in different colors for you.

Sunday Again

"Success is following the pattern of life one enjoys most."

Al Capp

My employer sent me out to Florida for a couple of weeks, but I am home now. It was a good trip, but I turned into one of the statistics CNN is talking about recently. I, along with a full plane load of people, sat on the tarmac in Florida just long enough to miss my connecting flight in Atlanta with no more flights out to South Dakota, or anywhere that could have gotten me home, that night. So, I spent a night there. I have to tell you, the people I met in Atlanta were all very nice and helpful.

Meet Bruce's little buddy, Henry. How long has it been since you have seen one of these? I know for me, it has been way too many years.
Yesterday, I attended a workshop at Athena Fibers in Sioux Falls on dyeing yarn with KoolAid. I met some great women, including a young lady who was 8. Her yarn was just beautiful. The yarn above is Treadsoft and I dyed it with orange, lemon-lime and lemonade. It smells as good as it sounds. The ladies in the group named this "Melon" and it should be mottled. The color that looks white is actually yellow.
My first attempt was with grape, lemon-lime and pink lemonade, this one should be self-striping. I haven't come up with a name for this one and I am open to suggestions. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and learned a lot from my teacher.

I do love hand thrown pottery. I picked this beauty up at my favorite thrift shop recently. It may be the prettiest piece I own.

Sunday Moments

I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun.

~Katharine Hepburn

I did miss the flea market yesterday, I slept right through all of it. My daughter knows how much I adore hand thrown pottery and brought me home this little guy as a gift. It was made by an 8 year old for her Grandmother, she received an A in her art class for it. It is precious! I would never sell it. My daughter wants me to keep my small collection of stitch markers in it. I think that will be a perfect use.
Penny Rugs and More is one of my favorite blogs. Last week she added this wonderful pin cushion on her Etsy page, I quick snapped it up. She has others listed, too...take a look. Not only are they adorable, they are really functional. There is protection inside so you don't stab yourself.

She was very generous with me and sent along luscious wool pennies that were already cut. I played with them this afternoon, trying to decide how to use them. It was very soothing, I am a very tactile person.
I have purchased from her in the past. My sister and I both love the coin purses I bought. She sells plastic templates already to use on your own wool, which I did today, but not for as long as I would have liked. Maybe I will get a little more done and show you tomorrow. She has a tutorial on her blog for 3 stack pennies with a personal backing that is very informative.

Our blizzard came and went, with power flashing on and off. It left us better off than the news people led us to believe. I90 was closed for a while and conditions were bad, but we all came through what I am hoping was the last snow storm of the season. I made out better than most, I slept through it.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Sunday Moments

Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Meet Bruce, the man in my life. We had a wonderful trip to the Badlands as you can see over his shoulder. He is very special, even tempered and we see eye to eye on most things, including politics.

It has been a quiet weekend after a hectic week. The last week of the month is always busy for me. My Father ended up on the hospital in emergency surgery on Thursday night. He is chugging on through. The path report is due Monday. This little quilt is hand pieced, hand appliqued and hand quilted. I finished it a while ago, but was going through my little stash of table toppers, thinking it was time to change out the little quilt on the table, just for a fresh look. Since most of you have not been in my home, these will be new to you.

I was able to get to one of my favorite thrift shops after work on Friday and found a few treasures. The hot chocolate pot is from the Bon Jour collection at Williams-Sonoma. Very cute and a steal for what I paid for it. Someone named Molly made the pottery bowl and platter, I was lucky enough to walk away with seven of her pieces. They will be treasures here in this house.

Have a blessed week and get out and be patriotic. Vote!

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.
— Maya Angelou

My dear friend Penny and I went thrifting on Friday. This beautiful pot was sitting there waiting for me to walk by....again. I had been to the store a couple of times and had seen this pot, and decided that with a price tag of $7.95 it probably was not for me. Everytime I went in over the course of two weeks, I had the same conversation with myself. Then, on Friday, someone else had moved the pot to a different location and covered it with a hat. It took me a while to locate it, but once I did, it was coming home with me. I love handthrown pottery. I should have bought it the first time through...but now I know it is a treasure. Note the little acorn at the bottom of the handle. My daughter thought we should use it for syrup. Sounds like a good excuse to make waffles to me!

I started this sweater last week for one of my granddaughters. It is almost finished, but I wanted to share the progress. I really like the feel of this yarn and I am sure she will love the color.

I bought the beautiful amethyst stitch holder (which just happens to be my boyfriend's birthstone) from HookedOnEwe. She has a most delightful shop on Etsy. Christy is very generous and sent me a free little lamb stitch marker along with my stitch holder. How cute is he? She is shipping from overseas so it does take a little longer, but her things are well worth the wait. She makes knitting needles, too.