Wednesday, September 29, 2010

oh dear ...

my laptop has chosen this very week, in my busiest of all seasons, to retire ...

i hopefully will be back keyboarding by early next week ...

on a positive note, perhaps this means i will be spending more time with my knitting needles ... my crochet hook ... my sewing machine ...

happy knitting ... is there any other kind? ...

Monday, September 27, 2010

"temple grandin" ...

we had a lovely joyously lazy do-nothing sunday ...

 after an extraordinarily fun saturday spent shopping at the local farmer's market followed by some fun in the kitchen resulting in a wonderful salmon dinner with grilled veggies, roast potatoes and fresh blackberries ... all this was made better by sharing it with friends ... from start to finish ...

sigh ...

and now it's monday ... not that i'm complaining ... for the first time in ages, i have the house to myself ... well as much as possible with two felines fighting for the lead role in "Cats" and a naughty doggie running about ... but here are no other human voices ... just the whirl of the washing machine ...

i've looked after some school responsibilities (i have the very big grand important job this year of being the popcorn coordinator--each year our 6th graders go to outdoor ed as a celebration of surviving elementary school and we sell popcorn to help offset the cost of going) ...

i've put a load of laundry in and cleaned up the kitchen ...

and now i am sitting with my tea, enjoying the relative quiet ...

but before warming up the sewing machine and getting to work, i feel compelled to share something with you ... one of the best films i've seen in a long time ... so good that i watched it saturday night with a friend and then again last night, with my groom and cherubs ...

it is called "temple grandin" ... and it's the story of Temple Grandin, Ph.D., the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world ... you must see this incredible movie ...

now ... i hope you have a wonderful monday ...

and rent "temple grandin" ... do it now ... what are you waiting for ... how many truly great movies come along each year? ...


Friday, September 24, 2010

fridays, niddy noddys and orifices ...

how did it get to be friday ... no seriously ... how DID it get to be friday ...

i was just enthusiastically marvelling about monday ... and voila ... friday ...

what happened to mid-week ...

where did thursday go ... anyone seen tuesday? ...

i know last night sped by because i was in a spinning class ... no not the sweaty gym type of spin class but a spin class as in spinning wheel, fiber, wool ... you know the kind ...

prick your finger on a spindle and fall asleep until the love of your life kisses you to life ...

it was fabulous ... i love spinning ...

have you ever been on a ferry for any length of time and then when you lay down to sleep, the bed rocks like you are still floating ...

last night, my foot kept going up and down, gently, as i was treadling in my sleep ...

spinning dreams i suppose ...

so here's my first effort ...

it's been carded and it's been spun ...

i then removed it from the bobbin to the niddy noddy (how can you not love a craft that has such divine terms as niddy noddy?) ...


it's a bit twisty and in places it appears as though caterpillars have spun cocoons ... but i like it ...

and, out loud in a classroom setting, we get to talk about the "orifice of the spindle" ... really ... i am not making this stuff up ...

so despite my best intentions, here it is friday again ... i hope you have a wonderful weekend ... i hope to spend time feeding roving through the "orifice of the spindle" and i shall try and restrain myself from using the niddy noddy in an inappropriate fashion ...

happy weekend ...

Thursday, September 23, 2010

fame and fortune ...

well it's not all buttons and biscuits in my studio these days ...

there is some real live work being done ...

although i do have to cut things a bit short today as i have two friends coming over for tea this afternoon ... a new friend and an old friend ... my new friend hails from spain and i love listening to her tales from yonder ... my old friend is like that favorite sweater you wrap yourself in on a chilly day ...

anyway, back to the studio ...

i have completed another bag .. it was knit and then gently machine felted ...

...


it's just the prettiest grey-blue wool ... reminiscent of the seattle sky today actually ...

but when i query myself as to why fame and fortune have not sought me out, perhaps a gentle reminder that i am trying to lead a balanced life is required ...

nudge nudge ...

so off for a quick run with my naughty doggie ... and then back to work ...



enjoy your day ... and happy knitting ...

is there any other kind? ...

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

biscuits 'n buttons ...

it's been a lovely week (and it's still only wednesday) of friends and good food ...

sunday evening we had a couples book club meeting ... we discussed the book "Lonesome Dove" which i highly recommend ... it's a great read ... not something i would ever have picked up on my own -- cowboys and cattle drives not being my typical reading material ... but this pulitzer prize winner truly earned it's rating as one of america's best novels ...

in keeping with the theme of the book, we had steak and beans, corn bread and parsnips, wild rice and salad ... and, for those of you familiar with the characters, we had Gus's buttermilk biscuits ...


these biscuits, served warm with butter and molasses ... oh my ... there's gotta be a law against them ...

yesterday, i was blessed to have five of my fiber friends from my UW program of last year (who could possibly forget 50 collages in a week for heaven's sake) for dinner and the evening ... we talked sheep and wool, art fairs and weekend outings, new projects and old ...

and today ...

today i had three dear friends for tea and lunch and we talked until time ran out and our "other lives" interfered ... pick ups after school and appointments beckoned ...

now lest you think ms. heart has traded in her knitting needles for a tea pot, i have found a few moments to be in the studio ...

i've made some sweet covered buttons which will find new life as hair bobbies ...


and remember the felted bag of last week, well it's done ...

and so darned pretty ...



... flowery lining ...


and ta da ...


a crocheted strap completes the picture ...

hope you have good friends in your life ...

'cause it can't be all work and no play ...

Thursday, September 16, 2010

rattlin' around the studio ...

"no" ...

my yelp of horror at hearing that my favorite antique shop in north bend is closing ...

ok it was more of a shriek ... but none-the-less ...

for those of you who have not been there, now is your last chance ...

Bad Girls Antiques is closing ... get there before it's too late ... go now ...

so, it seems that even bad girls get tired of selling their wares ... and i wish the proprietor of said antique shop all the best ... she has helped me add some much-needed character to my relatively new home ...



but i digress ... back to the studio ...

today is a work day ...

more gauntlets of course ... 'cause you can never have too many pairs of gauntlets ...

and working on a sweet bag ... for some reason, bags are not a big seller but i still like making them ... sometimes a sweater just jumps off the racks begging to be reborn ...

here's the latest bag in progress ...




my lovely and talented studio assistant hard at work ...



stay tuned to see the final product ... complete with crocheted handle and vintage doilie ... or perhaps i should just add buttons ... maybe a sweet flower ... oh decisions decisions ...

until next time, have a wonderful day ...

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

sleeping beauty ... or not ...

well i really was going to go for a walk this morning before getting to work ...

but that was before i woke up at 2:39 a.m. unable to sleep ...

what caused this "sleeping beauty" moment ... alas it was not a kiss from my true love that caused me to awaken with a start ... my true love, my temporarily retired groom was actually sleeping quite soundly beside me ... while i, la belle au bois dormant, leaped to my feet ...

wondering how it was that i had not heard a darned thing from my daughter's junior high school ... when i am typically bombarded with so many messages in my "inbox" that i have considered, in brief moments of insanity, hurlng my laptop into the pond in our back yard ... but not wanting to frighten the goldfish residing there i have resisted ... for now ...

upon further investigation, i realized that some time over the past month i had received an email or two or three that the school is using yet another new system and i had to sign in and confirm my password and email address ...

so there i was at 2:39 in the a.m. trying to figure things out ...

and, in case there was any doubt in your mind at all, i am MUCH better with a crochet hook and a pair of knitting needles than i am with all things electronic ...

MUCH better ...

and i'm ok with that ...

so here i sit with my pile of gauntlets waiting to be sewn ...




a finished cuff at my side ...



and a new day ahead ...

and i have already advised my groom that if he comes upon me sleeping in my studio, a simple kiss will wake me from my slumber ...

so, have a lovely day and let's make:




Monday, September 13, 2010

sometimes the flap just doesn't close ...

my friend julie said these words at our most recent book club meeting ... "sometimes the flap just doesn't close" ... i had to laugh, out loud ... really loud ... 'cause it touched my funny bone ...

and i got thinking about how that is really an observation about life and how we sometimes get ourselves into a wee spot of trouble at times ...

because that darned "flap just doesn't close" ...

i am guilty of this myself on several occasions ...

quite often in dealings with my adolescent daughter ...

(whom incidentally i adore although that seems to be a one-way street these days but i know one day, hopefully in the not too distant future, i shall be tolerated once again) ...

ah but this is not one of those "how to parent" blogs or i would have been shut down long ago ...

the sky is brightening outside my studio window ...
the colors of fall are stunning ...






and the slugs have kindly left me a plant or two in my garden ...




i've added some color to my front door with a sweet pansy and a fiber mushroom ... having a welcoming front entrance always makes me happy ...

it's a relatively warm day in the northwest ...


and my loyal doggie is by my side ...



so hopefully i can keep my flap closed today ... unless i am making kind comments ... and we'll make it to the end of the day with a happy heart ...

now must turn my attentions to my sewing machine and crochet hook ...

the fall "show" season is upon us and the shop shelves are bare ...

enjoy your day ... and keep your flap closed ...

(and just so you know, julie was actually talking internal gastrointestinal issues) ...

happy crafting ...



 


Saturday, September 11, 2010

happy saturday ...

i'm just about to sit down and have my breakfast ... a lovely bowl of organic blueberries topped with a dollop, just a wee one, of fresh whipped cream ...



hope your day is as sweet as mine ...

Friday, September 10, 2010

twelve things i love about jake on his twelfth birthday ...

twelve ...

it's a significant number in our house today ...

today is my youngest cherub's birthday ...

he turns twelve today ...

twelve years ago, on his nanny's birthday, he entered the world without a whole lot of fuss ...

at 4:41 pm ...

weighing in at 8 lbs 6 oz ...


his sister infamously said "i love my little brother, what's that guys name again?" ...



jake entered the world smiling ...



and things haven't changed ...



so today's blog is for jake ...

twelve things i love about jake on his twelfth birthday (in no particular order):

1.  he holds the door for people
2.  he loves babies
3.  his piano playing brings tears to my eyes
4.  he likes to craft with me
5.  he flosses his teeth without prompting
6.  he loves his cats and dog
7.  he does his chores without prompting and without arguing
8.  he chose, at age 8, to be a vegetarian and he's held fast to that ever since
9.  he loves dark chocolate
10.  he likes to grocery shop with me
11.  he will still blow kisses to me on his way to school
12.  he is kind to girls.

jake, you are a gift to our family ...

and i love you ...

xoxo
Mom


Thursday, September 9, 2010

cure for a dreary day ...

it's a bit dreary here in the northwest ... but brightened by the fact that today i shall be off with some very lovely friends on an urban hike ... we shall be traipsing through the historical queen anne area of seattle ...

years ago, a group of us formed the "hiker chicks" and we've been romping the forests and fields of the northwest ... but today we are leaving behind our hiking boots and instead putting on our fancy "keens"  and heading into the city ...

seattle here we come ...

but i shall leave you with a sneak peak at the crocheted cuff i spoke of yesterday ... still in the works but coming along charmingly ... with my limited photography skills, the photos are a bit dark ... but perhaps that's because outside it still seems like midnight rather than mid-morning ...



i am fondly calling this my "bird on a wire" cuff ... and hopefully it will be one in a series ...

until tomorrow, have a lovely day ...

and if you see a number of ladies in the queen anne area, one possibly crocheting as she walks, give a wave ...

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

tea with a friend ...

oh i was going to get right to work this morning ...

but the best laid plans and all ...

one of my sweet neighbors called to invite me for tea ... and in this hectic world, that does not happen all that often or perhaps not as often as i would like ... never one to turn down such an invite, i grabbed my crochet pouch and headed out the door ...

i must share a photo of my newest favorite crochet pouch which i picked up on a recent trip to the great white north aka canada ...



and the equally adorable other side ...


how sweet is that? ... it's from the japanese designer Shinzi Katoh who's motto is:

We design various kinds of products with many happy thoughts.  We hope they make people happy!


well i don't know about you, but that sweet little bag makes me plenty happy and brings a smile to my face every time i retrieve it ... mission accomplished Shinzi and thank you for that ...

but fancy that ... me getting sidetracked by a cute accessory ...

where was i ...

oh yes ...

i was avoiding work by sharing a cuppa with a friend ...

well i make no apology for that ...

let me get sidetracked even moreso ...

yesterday i took my sweet cherub to the eye doctor for a fitting for contacts ...

while we were there, an elderly gentleman came in with a pair of glasses and the lens had popped out ... he very kindly asked if they could fix the screw that had come out ... "yes" he was advised that could be done but it would just take a few moments ... the gentleman said that was just fine and he'd step next door for a coffee ...

well perhaps fifteen minutes later, he came back and, upon opening the door he said "i am the one with the loose screw" ... at which point i burst out into laughter thanking my lucky stars that i had just barely swallowed my own sip of coffee or i dare say there would have been more than a loose screw to work on ...

we truly all need to laugh more and share a cup of tea with a friend on a wet fall day ...

so now i can get to work ... but i'll do it with a smile on my face thinking about a man with a screw loose and a friend with a hot cup of tea ...

and hopefully i'll soon have some crocheted cuffs to share with you ... i actually did crochet the base for one whilst having tea ...

and now just need to work on accessorizing it ... perhaps some old buttons and a bit of lace ... maybe some scraps of fabric ...

in the meantime, have a great day ...

and happy knitting ...

is there any other kind? ...

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

land of oz ...

kids are back at school and our regular scheduled programming has commenced once again ...

there was a two-month summer interruption ...

we took time off for family reunions and trips to the beach, a much-needed hiatus in lake chelan, a camping trip to the skagit valley area ...

and at 48 years young, what i know about myself is that i really really REALLY work much better with some structure in my life ... don't get me wrong ... i love summer and hanging out with the kids at the lake, going for bike rides, family vacations, movie nights and picnics at the park ... BUT ... i do love back-to-school time and some routine to my days ...

so i've clicked my heels three times and here i am, back in the heartfelt studio ...



i've been playing with some driftwood we picked up on our adventures this summer ...



i wrapped the driftwood in a beautiful wool and then added some heartfelt flowers and a sweet button of course ... i think it's quite pretty ... i have many many pieces of driftwood gathered over the summer ... not to mention multiple pieces of sea glass and pottery ... i'm like a crow ... can't pass by a bright, shiny object on the ground without picking it up ...

anyway, a busy day ahead ... so ms heart had best get her ducks in a row and get to work ...

have a great day and here's my own personal motto which i hope you'll take to heart ...