blueberries are good for you

Schumann: Fünf Stücke Im Volkston, Op. 12 - 1. Mit Humor, performed by YOYO MA-mit humor, bitte.

Day off

I have a day off and no where I need to go. This is not a lament. It
is a joyful declaration. I will stay home and make something. There
may be pictures. Maybe baking. Mike wants blueberry cheesecake bars.
My Katy in repose. 2005. MB

Patient Pixie

Pixie would very much like to have this yarn please.

Lunchtime

I was either going to toss the sundry vegetables, left over from previous meals, or make them into lunch. Lunch it was. I tossed salt and olive oil and garlic paste in a tube with the potatoes before roasting, and they were so good. So. Good.
In the ramekins, I combined left over whipped cream and egg yolks, and poured it over left over apple pie and added some butterscotch chips and chopped hazelnuts and baked them like a custard. And this may be my new favorite dessert. It was so rich we are saving the leftovers for later. hahah left over left overs.
On the needles is Eunny Jung's Ivy League Vest. I got the cd from interweave and I was lucky enough to be able to visit Webs in Northampton last week when we dropped Bailey off at school in South Hadley.Webs is a hUge store and I was agog at the hUgeness of it. and they had the exact yarn called for in the pattern and I got twenty percent off and after a crappy week of colonoscopies and polypectomies and such like indignities I decided to just buy it and try to make it ~ and so that is my story and I am sticking to it.

Poppet

My lap bob cat

Where we were today.

Museum of natural history where I was attacked by a giant butterfly.
And I am knackered. Probably shoud have stayed home but I wanted to
have one day out.

Shawlette

From Knitty winter-unblocked

Oops

I started this by accident. I must have been under the influence of
fabric fumes.

Circular knitting needle holder

This is made from an old canvas tote that I had laying around. It will
keep my needles accessible and in one place. The tubes in the top
pocket are cigar tubes from Mike's dad. They are perfect for dpns.
Behind the cigar holder pockets is a bigger pocket for sundries. I
hardly ever use regular straight needles so I don't need a place for
them. The original webbing from the tote makes a good hanger. I cut
the sides of the tote and made a vertical tube and used wool for the
pockets. The contraption folds up to be totable. I made the long
vertical pocket tubular also so there will be no fraying. Now I need
piece of empty wall to hang it. Sorry the picture is not better. Low
light-small camera. I love making things like this and using things I
already have.

Small quilty finish

My commute

Switching gears

I seem to be switching gears again. I am contemplating making some DJ blocks in Robyn Pandolf type colors. I did start a shabby chic jane way back when but it never gelled.The blocks got used in Katy's quilt.
Maybe I have had enough of brights!! No that could never happen. Maybe it is seasonal, liking more subdued colors in the winter. Could be. But the new Pandolf collection, Beach House, is very inviting..but after spending the day in my sewing room yesterday, I know I do not need any more fabric for a while-so I am on fabric austerity for a while..at least for today.
Funny thing, how I can rationalize. I tell my self: I do not buy cosmetics or need fancy clothes for work. I get books room the library and do not drink or shop recreationally. But I do have fabric. It is my inspiration, my paintbox, my sacred space.
Well that was dizzying. Going from ungrounded rationalization to complete validation in one spiraling sequence. I think I need to sit down.

Poppet

Poppet is shaping up for the Olympic De Cat a Lon....the competion is fierce on Cathi's blog, but Poppet is dedicated.

Fuzzy neck thing

Knitted while benched, contemplating whether or not to rise to the occasion.
Bailey bought this yarn a few years back when she wanted to learn to knit but was quickly frustrated. Indeed it is a pain to knit with even on huge needles. But at least it is done. Began today and finished today. and Bailey says it will match her coat.

Wristies

Begun as socks. Morphed to mittens. Remodeld into wristies. Done is done.

and the winner is...

Bailey picked two winners! because I received two extra books. I was overwhelmed by the responses and deeply moved by all of your comments I received more than fifty replies, here and on
facebook and my typepad blog and in the WIP and the Inklingo Yahoo groups- and I could not have chosen the winner based upon worthiness because all of your chosen charities are noble and worthy and I wish I had a hundred books to donate, so each of you could have one to keep and one to give away.
So I wrote each name on a stickie note and drew a breath and said a prayer and let Bailey pull two names. And.
They are Penny Jones and Carolyn in Ohio. I have contacted each one either through her blog or email address, so I hope to hear from them soon with the shipping information!
Thanks to you all for your participation. It is an honor to know you all-such as it is...through the auspices of the www.

Give Away--Jinny Beyer's Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns

a gift for Christmas! and a give away for you.
It seems that the order was doubled and Amazon told us not to return it so I am going to have a giveaway. It will involve a drawing and I would like to ask that you describe your favorite charity and then make a donation to it for the new year. It does not have to be money. It could be a meal to a less fortunate neighbor or a scarf knitted for the red scarf project, or a quilt donated to a shelter or the Quilts of Valor. Or you could even donate blood. It does not need to be a human charity-it could be for a nature preserve or an animal shelter.
And it will be on the honor system. I do not expect you to report back. I believe you will do the right thing. After all, are we not quilters?
My daughter will pick the winner. It may or may not be a random drawing but I think it may have to be in order to be fair. I will do the drawing on January One. Drawing will be from the comments here and my other blog. (see side bar)

making piles

I have been lazily making piles of three inch diamond shapes from the Inklingo collection. I do not really have a direction or a color scheme although mostly it has been blues and violets piling up. I have raided my hand dyed stash and my plan is to cut up as much as I can in the next couple of days off.
I am most recently inspired by the Quilters Album of Patchwork Patterns by Jinny Beyer,which I was given for Christmas!! And not only did I have one delivered but by the grace of Amazon, I received two! And so I have been told I can do what I want with the second. Amazon is donating it because the error was made by them!
so loyal readers......what shall I do?

Got a yarn winder:)

Inklingo Giveaway!!

Be sure and visit Linda and Tilde to see the details. I guarantee you will be inspired!
Let me know if you can resist!