Knitting Needles – The Never Ending Mitered Squares

I knit.  What’s your superpower?
 – Author Unknown

I am not someone who has been knitting since childhood.  A loving mother or grandmother didn’t teach my while sitting at her feet.  I learned to knit to fill a void.  My last child had gone off to college.  An empty nest!  What are nests made of?  Bits and pieces of twigs, leaves, feathers, twine and YARN!  I must knit!  A logical choice.  I started with scarves and moved quickly into blankets.  No sweaters and socks.  The recipient of my gifts would outgrow the sweater by the time I would finish and socks wear out too quickly.  No, blankets were good and much loved by everyone.

My constantly rearranged mitered blanket project.

This is my latest labor of love and it is based off of a pattern developed by Ann and Kay of Mason Dixon Knitting.  I love their books.  I have added the black and white because the eye needed a rest.  The nice thing about this pattern is the ease of transport.  One square at a time can easily fit in a purse or small satchel.

My travel bag with current mitered square and yarn.

This blanket has worked it’s way through listening to many books, favorite television shows, road trips, hospital visits and even meetings at work. I find my listening skills improve when my hands are busy.

Attic stash discovered… more cotton classic!

This weekend I decided to sort through all the containers of yarn I have in the attic.  Going through all the yarn that moved south with me, I found even more of the cotton yarn I use in this blanket.  Does that mean this blanket might not ever be done?

I did this scene in ‘Lars and the Real Girl’ where I was in a room full of old ladies who were knitting, and it was an all-day scene, so they showed me how. It was one of the most relaxing days of my life.

Ryan Gosling

 

Photos from my walk…

“A picture is a secret about a secret, the more it tells you the less you know.”
― Diane Arbus

Two posts in one day!   I decided to go for a walk and put what I had learned to work.  I was so happy with the results I just had to share.  This time of year is not all that photogenic, but I had faith I would find something… and I did.

There wasn’t much to see until I got up to the Millhouse.  Management had turned off the running water, but the pond still had some standing water in it and it had frozen.  Everything the wind had blown that way had been trapped in place.

I liked this configuration so much I took a shot with my iPhone.  I used the standard camera so I could run it through a couple of my apps.  When I got home I made some changes with Snapseed, which I haven’t used very much.  I like some of the effect I could create.  That was where I added the greenish hue.  I then pulled it through Instagram and finished it off.  I have to say I do love my iPhone camera.  I actually find this version of the shot more interesting.

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers.  I can never figure out which color I like the best.  Now I will have to include the lacy version in there with the others.  I love the skeletal, lacy effect of this beauty.

This is my walking path.  Sometimes I like to make my photos more artistic by adding filters.  The shadow designs on the walkway were so pretty I wanted to make this more like a painting.

All in all it was a great morning walk.  The weather was briskly, chill.  The book on my iPod was “The Invention of Wings” by Sue Monk Kidd.  The reader is excellent and I highly recommend it.  Although I was not fond of “The Mermaid Chair,” I loved “The Secret Life of Bees.”  This has the same feel to it and may be just a little bit better.

Enjoy!

It’s a New Day!

“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
― L.M. Montgomery

So a lot has happened since last I posted.  There is quite a bit new in my life.  New house, new town, new state, new car, new camera, new job and definitely a new outlook.

This morning I woke early and looking through the half opened door to my bedroom wondered what was lighting up the room.  I got up and looked.  The sunrise was peeking through the blinds.  I guess it wasn’t as early as I thought.  I am usually up before the sun… but this is Sunday.  You probably think I then went and picked up my camera and took a beautiful shot of the sunrise.  Right on one count, I took a picture, but, no beautiful shot.  Hmmm.  New camera and I haven’t really done a great job of learning about it and setting it up for me.  I picked up my little mini-pad (what an awful name for a wonderful invention) and decided now was the time to learn.  The house was still quiet and there would be no interruptions.  I snuggled back into bed and googled Nikon D90 tutorial.

Gratuitous photo

I found an excellent tutorial and the gentleman had a very pleasing English accent.  I will definitely be watching more of his videos.    It was rberryphotography if you would like to subscribe to his channel.   This is the link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkHWrnpQbuY

 

Weekly Photo Challenge – Near and Far

This was taken on the White Pass Train in Alaska.  What a wonderful trip that was.  Talk about near and far.  I have so many wonderful memories filled with those type of images and photos.  My favorite Near & Far memory was riding a draft horse across the Tundra.  It was a rough and mucky ride and not at all like riding across the plains like the Bonanza opening credits.  It took forever to get back to the ranch… It looked near but it was actually far… never seemed to get closer.

Memorial Day Weekend Begins

Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.  ~Daniel Webster

We are blessed this Memorial Day Weekend with the visit of our youngest grandson.  At 20 months old, he has kept us quite busy,  This is also the big race weekend in town.  But we should remember that above all the rest this weekend is a weekend of remembrance,  for those we love who have passed and for those who have served bravely for us and have died. 

I don’t remember how many years ago the Healing Fields came through, but I will never forget the impact.  Rows upon rows of flags with yellow ribbons.  It was amazing, beautiful and moving. 

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.  ~From a headstone in Ireland

When I was there the wind was blowing strong and all the flags were at full face. 

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. 
~Joseph Campbell