Queenan Country

So, should I knit more of this scarf to make a complete garland?
Nah....it's a not-red scarf for the Red Scarf Project. (Click the button at the right.) I knit this one with a size 50 and a size 17 needle and Light-n-Lofty yarn so it's loose and squishy. At 7.5 feet, it's perfect for wrapping around your neck in cold-cold weather. I hope a young college student will be blessed with its warmth.




Meanwhile, there are a few decorations around the house ...

DH and I bought the hand carved trees during our trip to Redwood National Forest in northern California. I would love to make a return trip to the absolutely breath-taking trees and vegetation in that area. The statues were made by our children in VBS.






Several of these stars in a variety of sizes are hung throughout the house. This is a small star. It is made of metal with a bell clapper, and does it make noise!





This stylized red tree has tiny jewel-tone balls to decorate it that are not visible in this picture. The compote dish is filled with red and gold glass ball garlands with a few candy canes poked into it.


One of our little trees is the "bird tree" and wears birds in assorted styles. I knitted the red bird at the left during the 80s. At the lower right, you can see a blown glass bird from Germany with a feather tale.




Another tree is the snow and icicle tree--bright and sparkling with snowflakes and icicles of many differing styles.

There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries. ---W.J. Cameron

I finished reading Queenan Country by Joe Queenan. The subtitle is "A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country". This man knows England and writes about it in a clever humorous tour de force. I must say that there was a certain whoosh! right over my head factor here since I don't know enough about some of his references to understand the wit that is at play. So, I skipped over the parts I didn't get and went directly to reading where I could laugh, chuckle and enjoy the humor. My favorite chapter is "No Mersey" wherein the author describes following the trail of the Beatles. If you don't read anything else in this book, go directly to this chapter! And, of course, it is Queenan's love of England and his English wife that allows him to poke fun at the country and its inhabitants in hilarious, good fun.

Saturday Sky

Clear, bright, and 36 degrees

It's Only Words

You.

Can.

Only.

Type.

One.

Word.
No.

Explanations.

1. Yourself: me

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend (spouse): beloved

3. Your hair: thick

4. Your mother: angel

5. Your father: missed

6. Your favorite item: candles

7. Your dream last night: over

8. Your favorite drink: Coke

9. Your dream car: no

10. The room you are in: office

11. Your ex: nonexistent

12. Your fear: loneliness

13. What you want to be in 10 years? Alive

14. Who you hung out with last night: Husband

15. What you're not: Healthy

16. Muffin: small

17. One of Your Wish List Items: Roomba

18. Time: noon

19. The last thing you did: read

20. What you are wearing: comfy

21. Your favorite weather: sunny

22. Your favorite book: Chocolat

23. The last thing you ate: cereal

24. Your life: simple

25. Your mood: content

26. Your best friend: Max

27. What are you thinking about right now: Blessings

28. Your car: Infiniti

29. What are you doing at the moment: Typing

30. Your summer: hot

31. Your relationship status: perfect

32. What is on your TV: Nothing

33. What is the weather like: Cold

34. When is the last time you laughed: Today

Copy.

It.

Do.

It.

Post.

It.

:)

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ---Burton Hillis

Yarnographic Friday

Two out of two snowmen agree that Light Pipe is a funny looking yarn! Crystal Palace Yarns describe it as an add-along yarn and offers patterns and yarns at http://www.straw.com/cpy/yarns/lightpipe_card.html#swatch

A quote from the site tells us "Note: Light Pipe is a nickname for fiber optics and our lustrous tube of yarn is reminiscent of a fiber optics tube." The 330 yard hank is 40% nylon and 60% polyester and suggests a size 7- 9 needle to get 5-6 stitches per inch.

Thread and a blob...Isn't that how you would describe this whimsical fiber? It may have a future as a scarf.....When I can get around to it!

re: WW pic
I took this pic when I was in Italy last September. It is detail of an exterior shot at one end of the cathedral in Florence. So majestic!

Mirrors should think longer before they reflect. ---Jean Cocteau

Wordless Wednesday

Feed the Hungry

CAMPBELL SOUP HAS A PROMOTION FOR CITIES WITH AN NFL FRANCHISE.

GO TO THE WEB SITE BELOW TO VOTE FOR THE BRONCOS (or your favorite team).

CAMPBELL'S WILL DONATE A CAN OF SOUP TO A DENVER SOUP KITCHEN

(or the NFL affiliate city for other teams) FOR EACH VOTE.

You can vote once per day.

http://www.chunky.com/clickforcans.aspx

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in... ---Mt 34-35

The Doctor's Daughter by Hilma Worlitzer.

C-c-cold, snow, and a bright-bright sunny sky. Colorado winter is beautiful.

If you happen to be a jar, I have just the hat for you! Ms. Button Jar cheerfully models this little hat that I made for the Dulaan Project (click on side bar button). I love the color name: Limelight by Caron Simply Soft. I used size six dpns for this jarring look.


"What the heck is that?", you say? Why, it's my interpretation of a Berroco pattern I saw one time. I'm using a size 50 and a size 17 needle to make a scarf with Light-n-Lofty yarn for the Red Scarf Project (click on side bar button). "Hey! That's not red!", you say? All the more reason to click on the link and read about this project. This is my mindless knitting to offset my world ghan knitting which, by the way, I had to rip back after I thought I had finished Panel Two. I messed up the shaping at the top of the panel! After I did all the intricate coastlines, I messed up the top shaping!! When that happens, I need to furiously knit on mindless knitting for a while!


I feel like a good friend just moved far, far away after finishing the book The Doctor's Daughter by Hilma Worlitzer. This story beautifully described the emotional journey of a 50-something woman trying to understand her life. From her adult children to the passing of her parents, she fights cobwebs to comprehend it all. What is her life really about? Why does the passing of her parents propel the orphaned adult child into extended reflection on the relationship of their marriage to her marriage? As she loses herself among the cobwebs, will she be able to live with the truths that she discovers? The cast of likable characters and the compelling story line caused me to read more slowly to prolong the end of a very good story.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Humor is a reminder that no matter how high the throne one sits on, one sits on one's bottom. ---Taki

Yarnographic Friday

Behold the amazing Vivaldi yarn plant with a yarn ball ready for the picking!

Vivaldi is 58% mohair, 19% wool, 23% nylon and has an amazing 305 yards. Although it calls for a size 6 needle, it yields a beautiful lacey look when done with bigger needles.

There's a wonderful variety of patterns at http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visgarn_soek.php?g=Vivaldi&lang=

I'm thinking of a lacey, soft shawl in this beautiful fluffy mohair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb . . and I'm also not blonde.
---Dolly Parton

Wordless Wednesday

740 PARK by Michael Gross

It's a bright, bright, sun-shiney day!






Some books I've read recently:

740 PARK by Michael Gross is the history of the world's richest apartment building built by the maternal grandfather of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. It is an address that has involved the elite in finance and society, thus the establishment of eastern society and international business. Quite a history of the rise and fall of many of the first millionaires in America also provides insight to the domestic lives of families such as the Rockerfellers, Mellons, Bouviers, and a cast of thousands!

A description that caught my attention illustrates the PC demands of today's world. When William Randolph Hearst was campaigning for New York mayor, he referred to opponents as "servile lickspitters, rats, cockroaches, and vulgar fatheads". Can you imagine that as normal fare in today's 24-hour news cycle?!

I was left with a sense of the emptiness of extreme wealth, the climb for power, and ostentatious living that led to divorces, family alienation, financial ruin, and unlawful behaviors.

***********************

THEN SHE FOUND ME by Elinor Lipman provides intriguing character studies with fantastic writing about a mother locating her adult daughter who doesn't want to know her biological mother. Despite the heavy tone of that premise, this is an extraordinary book full of surprise twists and turns with a fair dose of humor. How these women come to terms with one another and the roles of peripheral characters help to make the story one to enjoy and remember.
***********************Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. ---Groucho Marx

Yarnographic Friday

A dream come true! Yarn growing on vines in my back yard! Can it be?! How colorful! Just look at the beautiful shades of blue in this yarn!

Here is Gedifra Distrato in all her blue glory and textural wonder!

This softly fuzzy fiber is made in Italy of 50/50 cotton/polimide and is so soft to the touch.

It would be lovely as part of a blanket when carried with another strand. I keep thinking of this scrumptious patchwork blanket that I'm tempted to begin. However, I did promise Max that we would complete the World Ghan before starting another project...and I do have those two sweaters to finish! Oh my! Sooo much knitting that I want to do! What would you make with this soft-soft yarn?

With regard to excellence, it is not enough to know, but we must try to have it and use it. ---Aristotle

Wordless Wednesday ~~~ Orvieto, Italy

Charting the Whirled

To mama k: I am so pleased that you asked about the pattern for the World Ghan!! I got the charts out to photograph and discovered there are only four strips to this ghan rather than the five I thought were needed!! So....thank you-thank you, mama k!!!

As you might note, the charts show coloration for every country---whew!! Well, I decided to make it by continents rather than countries--much easier! So, at the moment, I am working on the southern tip of Greenland which means I'll soon be to chart #3!!



Presenting the colors of the world--in a basket, no less! The burgundy is smashed down between the orange and red. The last of the yellow has been used to complete Canada.
The pattern originally was in Vogue Knitting, Fall, 2002. I have previously blogged about this effort somewhere in the archives.

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.---Marshall McLuhan, 1964

Saturday Sky

Bright, blue and beautiful Saturday sky.

Max covers the world! Always my helper, Max assisted me in spreading out this world map blanket for a picture---only, well, he didn't want to move.


Whirled map! So we've got North and South America. On the far right are the beginnings of Africa (purple) and Europe (red). Antarctica (red) is nestled in the burgundy trim at the bottom right of the picture. This is fun to knit! I'm really enjoying this project.

This little hat is another for the Dulaan project (see side bar) in a simple pattern that I can work on while reading.

A book I've read recently is The Columnist by Jeffrey Frank. It is a satirical account of a self-centered, self-important journalist who becomes a Washington columnist and talking head on cable TV. Written in the lead character's voice as he pens his memoirs, the name dropping and anecdotes are self-serving, witty, and pathetic. A quick read, this book left me feeling very sad for the character of Brandon Sladder.

Have a wunnerful-wunnerful weekend!

It is more difficult to fight poverty in a rich country than in a poor one.
--- Mother Teresa

Yarnographic Friday

Frizzy-squizzy hair? Colorized spaghetti? A funky hedgehog?

It's Squiggle by Crystal Palace Yarns! It begs you to fluff it up, toss it around--it just looks playful! It is 50/50 nylon/polyester and would add a fantastic texture and splash of color in a patchwork blanket!! Love it!

To Shelley: Ahhh! Your comment made me realize that I posted a wordy Wordless Wednesday. Loved your comment!

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, a heart of grace and a soul generated by love. --- Coretta Scott King

Wordless Wednesday ----Shh!

Saturday Sky

This rather bewitching Saturday sky pic shows just how gloomy it is here today.

The finishing touches have been completed on the hats for the Dulaan project. I added a filigree brass heart button to each along with flimsy tassels. I think I'll bulk up those tassels in the future! These projects are my easy knits to do while I'm reading.

To Beth: Max appreciates your vote of confidence.

To Rona: I have mailed in my ballot in the past and feel inclined to do that in the future. It took 1.5 hours to vote, which I discovered wasn't much compared to the three and four hour waits in other parts of the state.

Wishing a blessed Sunday to all!

Knitting is learnt by doing, not by thinking, and it is far better understood with the fingers than with the head. ---Montse Stanley

Yarnographic Friday

Just gotta show you this! I ordered it for Christmas for my sister and brother-in-law. I decided to quote from the catalog rather than trying to describe it myself:

"Watch beauty unfold before your eyes. Drop a Flowering Tea rosette into the clear glass pot, pour in boiling water, and the rosette slowly opens into a fabulous blossom. Steep 2–3 minutes and enjoy. Each rosette is hand-sewn using premium tea leaves and fine cotton thread; each may be used up to 4 times. Set includes 9 different (and delicious) white, green, and black teas, 14-oz. teapot, and strainer, all nestled in a handcrafted mahogany stained bamboo chest. A spectacular gift for the tea connoisseur. Chest is 11"w x 4 ½"h x 7 ¼"d."

I ordered it at www.acaciacatalog.com
On to Friday's yarn... If ever there were Fall colors, this yarn has them! Isn't it beautiful? I love-love-love it! My dear SP9 sent four balls of this Patons SWS --- soy wool stripes. It is so soft and scrumptious! The colors blend beautifully. This will be fun to knit! The balls are 2.8 ounces each and the blend is 70% wool and 30% soy. She also sent a pattern for a felted entrelac suki bag that would be so pretty in this yarn.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy. ---Colossians 1:11

Dulaan Project

I like to read and knit. Whether I place my book in the holder or surf the net, I like to read and knit. Sadly, since I cannot work on my world ghan, follow the intarsia chart, and read, I am working on very simple, garter stitch rectangular children's hats for the Dulaan Project (see button in side bar) when I am reading online or from a book. When the rectangle is 12 inches long, I fold it in half and seam each side, then add a tassel to each corner at the top of the hat. The tassels give this plain hat a bit of flair! The hat below is yet to get its tassels. It will have so much more style when it does!! The finished one is made with some luscious yarn (I lost the label) and a wonderful chenille (Lost that label too) on size 10 1/2 needles. The one I'm working on is just the one strand without the chenille on size 8s.



While I am doing these things, Mighty Max keeps watch at the door to protect his sidewalk and his street. He's a big boy and has a powerful bark! Who would guess that he is so gentle and loves to cuddle?

This circular sweater is so different that I wanted to include the web site so you can see it too.http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=97&d_id=9&lang=en
I don't plan to make it, but think it is quite interesting!

Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. ---James 2:17

Wordless Wednesday Tree Line

Very-Very Important

Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 7.

Saluting Miss Duckey!

So Miss Duckey has my name in the SP9 exchange and sent lovely emails. Then, WHAM!! I opened the door on Saturday afternoon to find a nice-sized box from the aforementioned Miss Duckey herself!! WOW! She had told me she was readying a package, however this totally surprised me!

Now, I must interject here that I failed to save Miss Duckey's email address, so I am praying that she sees this post!

Not only did she knit that stunning square for my charity work, she sent the gorgeous stitch markers in Fallish colors of golds and ambers and rusty oranges. I love the silver leaves! So beautiful! I am extremely excited for these, my very first stitch markers that will elegantly move me out of the land of plastics. Miss Duckey, you more than fulfilled my wish. I never expected so many!! I am wondering if Miss Duckey made them. It looks like hours and hours of precise work to me!

The gift box was filled with beautiful red leaves--real, natural leaves--so pretty and colorful. I love them! Since I had stated that I wanted to try entrelac, she included an entrelac suki pattern along with four 1-2-3-4! balls of Patons glorious soy wool stripes yarn. I wish you could touch this stuff! So soft! The colors are breath-taking with subtle Fall colors. (More about the yarn on Friday. Stay tuned.)

Along with candy corn, milk chocolate bars, and a thoughtful card, Miss Duckey truly made my day! So, sincere thanks for each thoughtful item in this amazing box-o-Fall to my dear Miss Duckey.

Who you are inside is what helps you to make and do everything in life.
---Fred Rogers, PhD. aka "Mr. Rogers"

The Big If

An overcast day is aided by massive emissions from the Great Western sugar plant. The plants, dotted through areas of Colorado, refine sugar beets to produce GW sugar.

Here's a fabulous site to get your "Daily Dose of Imagery" at http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/ The most beautiful photography is featured here---a new pic every day. It is a visually stimulating experience. Give it a try!

On the reading front, The Big If by Mark Costello became "The Big If Not'" for me. I read about a third of the book, skimmed, read, skimmed, skimmed,....well it just wasn't for me. The topic of the Secret Service protecting the VP in this work of fiction is just the sort of thing I enjoy reading. However, it also included character studies and vignettes removed from the actual story line, well what I considered the actual story line to be. So, the book is unfinished and I feel as though I missed something terrific. The book is a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times Notable Book. Ah well, on to 740 Park by Michael Gross. I am expecting great things from this tome!

I'm looking forward to more knitting time today. Working on the World ghan, I have completed South America and am now developing Africa. It all sounds sooo humanitarian, doesn't it??! :)

:::::::::::::::::::

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books.

---Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Yarnographic Friday

Jo Sharp wool is one of my favs. This one is a soft DK. You are looking at 107 yards of Plum. Delicious color, but I wouldn't attempt to eat it! See its soft fuzziness? More like a peach, maybe?

I enjoy reading comments and the ones from Wordless Wednesday made me smile. When I looked at that pic, I saw the contrast of seasons. The green tree is summer that will soon fade into the dry, brown, autumnal leaves of the vine. So poetic and all. Commenters saw it as yard work. I love the eye of the beholder!

:::::::::::::::::

My future starts when I wake up every morning ... Every day I find something creative to do with my life.

---Miles Davis

Wordless Wednesday

World Upheaval!

South America has been ripped three times!! Such upheaval!! Alas, creating the world is much more challenging that it appears to be in Genesis!!

About a year ago, I posted about creating the world---well, the world ghan for J. It's back there in the Archives from last Fall. A year later, I have just picked it up again. The knitting and the graphs are easy. Then there is the process of determining the best way to align the partial continents: row counting-nope, marking every twenty rows-nope, pinning the finished portion-nope. What's left? I am joining the pieces as I finish a section of the second strip in order to match the portions of the continents! Yes, that's it!

Although the pattern calls for knitting the five strips, then joining--I'm just not comfortable with that! So after about a full day of knitting, ripping, trying another method, I seem to have come upon the way that works for me---so far, that is! It has been slow going at this point, but I think I'll sail along from here. (Famous last words!)

It's a fun project since J colored the world map for me and I am following his color scheme rather than the pattern. So back to creating the world! Praise God for the work of His mighty hands!

:::::::::::::::

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. -- Henry Ford

Saturday Sky with Jet Stream

Blue skies smilin' at me,

Nothing but blue skies do I see!

Yarnographic Friday

This is Patons' Classic Wool Merino in Royal Purple. Purple Has just met Teal.

Teal is also Patons' Classic Wool Merino. Her full name is Too Teal.

Don't they make a lovely couple?

Size Seven needles are recommended for this yarn which is a #4 medium weight. This lovely couple will be sent to my Secret Pal.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Names are not always what they seem. The common Welsh name Bzjxxlwcp is pronounced Jackson.
--- Mark Twain