Day 30

Wow!  30 days!  in a row....  I don't know what happened to this website last night, but I could not get in here. 
Today we made Jam.  Sooo yummy.  With strawberries from the strawberry field down the street.  And then we made a batch of strawberry/blueberry jam that is super yummy.  My friend Teri came over and we made lots.  I have not done much handwork today but may have some time later tonight. 

Here are the pictures from yesterday.

the mittens, and an acorn

Here is a close up of the acorn.  I guess I will make an oak leaf sometime!

And for today, i did finish an eggplant - Cute!  and a mini white pumpkin.  I also started on another pumpkin - white -but larger.

an eggplant for my veggie basket.

a mini white pumpkin and the beginning of another.

I like knitting, and i like making jam.  I don't think I am really that good at making jam, yet, although the raspberry/jalapeno jam I have made is Deee-licious.  I am hoping the strawberry/blueberry is super yummy when it is all done.  It may end up runny, but we will see tomorrow.
love,
LJ

day 28

I could not get onto this website last night to post!  I promise, I promise I did what I was supposed to do yesterday!!!!  I finished the acorn and i started, yet again on the mittens......  I will have to post the pictures later.  I have a busy day today and I do not yet have a plan for what to make. 
Wish me luck!!
LJ

Day 28

June 28, 2011

I guess it rains sometimes here in the summer, but it is hard to go from 100 degrees to rain in two days.  I feel a little off.
Our cat Sparta is having more tests, as the first ones came back all normal, which is great.  That means her liver and kidneys are healthy.  Tomorrow they will test for some infectious diseases.  I am concerned about her, of course.  She is a sweet, sweet cat.  *Sigh*

I finished the bowl, another tomato, a carrot and started on an acorn!  I just can't seem to concentrate on a more complicated project.  I went to knitting night at Craftology tonight, and Carolyn asked me about the mittens.  I am in love with that pattern, so I need to get focused on that! I promise!  As soon as some of my few remaining brain cells get working, I will cast on and make another gauge swatch. 

My son asks me why I keep knitting food!  My only answer is because I can!

I also believe that this 365 journal process is going to free something up in me.  Something that helps me financially, or spiritually, or in some unexpected way.  I have faith that what I am doing is going to help me.  I am enjoying making these cute and fast things.  I like playing with color, too.  I am a private person and it still amazes me that I am putting myself out here.  I just keep thinking no one but me reads this, and am always surprised when my friends ask me about something I have written about here.  I am not sure how i feel about this........

More tomorrow,  Maybe I will have a longer chunk of time to knit tomorrow.

LJ

day 27

it is amazing how little time I have been spending knitting since I started this blog.  I have been busy doing other things, I guess. 

Today I did not get to any handwork until after 8pm.  I made a tomato!  Little tomato!  Cute!

Little crocheted tomato!

I want to make a basket for some of these fruits and veggies I have been making so I am working on one.

the beginning

We took our cat (we have 4 cats!) Sparta to the Vet today.  She has been having seizures, two we know for sure.  I saw one and it was scary and awful.  My heart was breaking.  She is the sweetest cat ever.  So nice, and sweet and a scardey cat.  She is our little luv.  I am worried about her and we get the blood test results tomorrow.  The vet says there are many causes for this......
more tomorrow.  Past my bed time.
Love, lanie

Day 26

We had our first swim of the summer!  Harrison and I went over to the Orangevale pool.  While it was crowded, we managed to have a good time and had a great swim!  Felt so good to be in water...  i love to swim and our only regret in buying this house is that we bought one without a pool...

I finished another square to be used for a sample for the knitting class.

Basketweave square.  Knitted with Tahki Egyptian cotton.

Then I started on something completely unrelated.  I will be doing a craft show in September so I want to have some of my 'magic' scarves ready.  They are magic as they change yarn as if by magic!  Folks seem to really like them and I sold a lot of them last winter.  I needed something mindless to knit as the other two projects I have going require chart reading (not mindless..).

I hope you all are having a great weekend.  Mine was really very good.  Fun and friendship!
LJ

Day25

Saturday Evening.  We have Casablanca on the TV.  One of my favorite films!  I had a really good day.  Lots of love and lots of female energy which I need as I live in a home full of men, and I work in a shop full of men.

I am still working on the samples for the upcoming knitting class.  I also am looking for a pattern for a TOMATO to knit.  My friend Liz is going to apply for a booth at the craft fair at a Tomato Festival and she needs some tomato items.  She will have a stained glass tomato, but a little knitted one would be helpful.
Here is a finished square and another one in process.  The finished one has garter stitch border with a stockinette center.  The one in process is all moss stitch.

here they are.

Got to cut this short.  Rick is about to get the letters of transit to Ilsa and Lazlo....

Day 24

Friday Night!    I spent some time today with Diana at Craftology talking about starting a knitting class there.  We decided on Saturday afternoons starting August 6th.  Once we get the final details worked out I will let everyone know.  I am looking forward to teaching!  We are calling the 6 week class "The Course in Knitting'!
So today I worked on some samples for the class.  I made a washcloth with some cream cotton yarn, and a square with some of Diana's hand dyed purple wool/mohair blend. And, i started on a square with some yellow yarn. 
Here are the pictures.

in process

 

 

I got to spend some time with my pal Ellen today at Peet's knitting.  Something we have not had a chance to do in a long time.  It was pleasant and we had a good talk.  I love to sit and knit and chat!  and I love PEET's coffee and tea.  I actually had the tea lemonade, which was delicious!  Ellen retired recently so i hope we can spend more time together now. 
I have to go pick up Harrison now from the comic book shop where he play the card game Magic, the Gathering....
Love,
Lanie

Day 23

I am so tired today!  I have not done so much handwork today.  Yesterday I went to a thrift store, and I know I said I was not going to buy anymore yarn, but, thrift store purchases don't count - right?  I found some cotton Tahki yarn.  One unused skein and three partially used skeins.  Plus, a whole set of Boye metal crochet hooks - tiny ones good for lace and beads.  And some buttons, and some other things.  Less than $6!

 I finished the green eyed monster!  Now to do some writing about envy and then decide what to do with the UGLY Monster!

check out that orange tail!

Here are some flowers I am working on.

I can't seem to settle down to a more complex pattern right now.  I will start on a purse for my pal Heidi who is getting married.  We looked at some patterns today on Ravelry and I think we settled on one.  I will get the pattern printed out and I know i have the yarn for it somewhere in my stash, so I may begin work on it tomorrow.

Thanks,
LJ

Day 22

It was so hot today I found it hard to breath outside.  The air felt too hot.  I spent most of the day inside!  I worked on finishing (completely) some hair bands and some pins.  I hope to get some of these to my niece who is taking them to a craft fair this Saturday. 

a bunch of flowers!

Here is the back of one flower.

 

 

 

I also have been working on my green eyed monster.  I was talking to my friend Shirley about it tonight and we were discussing what I plan to do with it once it is complete.  I said I may unravel it....  not sure... so i said i was probably not going to stuff it.  And she said - that's, right, we don't 'stuff' things anymore!   Very pun-y!! 

the knitting of the green eyed monster is being done for a couple of reasons.  To give me another outlet to work on getting rid on envy.  and a creative one, as it is just being made without a pattern and hopefully will loosen up my creativity. 

this is going to become the spines along his back.  kind of dragon like.

I want to make my friend Heidi a small purse to use on her wedding day.  She is coming over tomorrow, so I am going to look for some patterns to show her.

LJ

Day 21

I need to keep motivated to do this daily work.  It is too hot to be motivated to do anything today!  But wait - I did a lot today.  Just not a lot of knitting.  I worked out, went to work at the shop, had lunch with my lovely friend Ashley - yummy Thai food! Sold some sterling silver, made dinner and did some hand work.  Just too hot to got out and do anything else.  I was supposed to be at Craftology at 6pm, but was still cooking and since my car's air conditioner went out I could not face the HOT drive in the car!  I am hoping Peter will have time tomorrow to fix it!
I started working on the ringlet hair i want to put on my Green Eyed Monster!

And i finished a couple of flowers.  One is ugly, i think....

kind of ugly.

and one pretty one.

Nice cashmere blend yarn in the center!

 

 

I need to make a comittment to myself to work on those mittens tomorrow!!
love, lanie

Day 20

Tomorrow is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.  It might even be the hottest day so far this year here.  I hate the heat...:-(

Today I did a lot of household chores but not much knitting. 

I finished one piece of lavender.  I hope to make some more.

looks a little bit like a snake in this picture!

I used some purple wool I got a few months ago at a thrift store!  It took a lot of casting on and off which is tricky.  I have been listening to a book while knitting and cooking 'Cold Flat Junction' by Martha Grimes.  It is a good story and very engaging.  I listen and sit and knit and time flies.  Gets me out of thinking about me and all my little problems. 

I started on some more flowers.  This one is knit.  Don't you hate directions that say 'join the petals' without any more information and you can't tell the tip from the bottom of the petal.  Drives me nuts.  I guess i figured it out, but we will see maybe tomorrow.......

Blue and a loopy center

I love my boys but there are days I want to turn the younger one in on a new, less snotty model......  I guess he is being a teen, but there are days I want him to be much younger or much older......*Sigh*

I still need to work on those mittens.  I guess thinking about mittens while it is 100 degrees out is mentally tough for me.  Tomorrow I am going to Going Vertical to work out, go to work and then craftology at 6pm.  I better decide now what to make for dinner or else we might be having pancakes!
See ya!
LJ

Day 19

Happy Father's Day to all you Dads!

I did not get much hand work done today.  The boys gave their dad some cards, I went grocery shopping to get not just regular food but all the ingredients to make some Indian food for dinner, at Peter's request.  I also decided to make a cake for my husband who is a wonderful Dad, as a surprise.  It is a coconut peach layer cake with a whipped cream frosting.  Yum.  I made it one time last year and Peter loved it so I told him I would make it again one day.  It is a delicious cake, but it takes just about every bowl and baking instrument in the kitchen.  Takes as long to clean up as to make and bake!  I am mostly a pie baker, but this cake is worth the effort.  I got the peaches at a local orchard that is about a mile from my house.  Not only local, but very sweet and yummy.
The in-laws descended on our house today- bother in law, sister in law, nephew and a cousin of the sister in law.  They brought food for lunch, and lots of energy!  I finished the cake while all this running around and visiting was taking place.
Lucero, my sister in law, decided to buy a bunch of my cute knitted stuff.  I am so glad that Zinnia, the horse, and one of the sheep, are going to a good home!  She also took the carrots, the pea pod and some hair bands.....!
I made some more flowers.

Since i have sold a bunch, I need to make some more for a Fair this weekend.

I gathered some yarn to begin making lavender. 

I love lavender!

 

 

Tomorrow is June 20, one day till the Summer Solstice!

 I hope to go to bed early tonight and maybe finish this great book I am reading by Anne Lamott, "Traveling Mercies".  I am really enjoying it.  She has a sense of humor I really appreciate.  It is a funny, tender and  spiritual book.  She is, as is said by a critic,  irreverently reverent.!

See you all soon,
Lanie

Day 18

Saturday evening.  Lots of my older son's friends are making their way home from college and stopping by to say hello.  I love seeing them!  They are like my sons!   I love having my extended family around!  They let me hug them and they talk to me and call me mom....  such sweet boys.  And we had a house full of the younger sons friends a few days go.  I miss having the house full of kids...so I am making sure to enjoy it while it lasts. 
Today I worked some more on my ENVY monster.  I finished - completely some hair bands and I began, a few times, making a second fair isle pincushion.  I made one a few months ago, and it is tricky to work the pattern correctly, but I keep trying because i love how they turn out.  I also get to pick out a great vintage button to put on top when it is done!
Here is a picture of the hair bands.  I love, love, love, the way the  one with the pink center turned out.  I may put that one on etsy.

hair bands!

Here is the beginning work on the pincushion.  The wool is by elemental Affects.  I used that yarn for a pair of Fair Isle socks.  That was a very challenging and satisfying project.  If i remember, i will put a picture of those on here.  Anyway, it is a wool yarn that is very 'sticky'.  it sticks very well to itself. I had a bunch left over and it works well for this pincushion project.  Little size one needles.  I bought some Addi Turbo double points for this project and the stitches slip so nicely in the rounds with this wool.  I will find the pincushion and put a photo of that on too.

I am using the red and pink to make the fleur de lis.

Tomorrow is Fathers day and I am not sure what we are doing.  My brother in law and his family may be stopping by on their drive home. 
Hope all you are well and happy,
Love, Lanie

Day 17

It was not a good day for knitting, but it was a good day for other things.  I got to spend a little bit of time with my oldest son, and a little bit of time with the youngest.  Now I am home alone!  A nice quiet evening.  Zander is out with friends, Harrison at Magic, and Peter at Friday Night Frights (see www.inthebalcony.com/FNF)
I started and finished some crocheted flowers today. 

I need to finish the pink and purple one.  I want it to have three levels of petals.

I am working on my ENVY monster.  I gathered up some dark and ugly yarn, well not ugly, but yarn that will make me look at the finished product and want to get rid of it when it is done, like i want to get rid of ENVY!  The green eyed monster!!!  grrrrrrrrr.
Here is the progress.

brown, grey and some green.

 

 

I hope you have a great weekend, and i will be working on more tomorrow.  Love ya!  Lanie

Day 16

I realized last night - a small epiphany - that I suffer from envy.  I never put that into words before, but I have a lot of envy.  I don't think I will put the details on this blog right now, but I was thinking today about what I want to do about it.  How do I wan to work on getting rid of envy in my life?  I can take the usual steps I take with things I don't like about myself, and I have decided to KNIT a GREEN EYED MONSTER!  Then maybe I will burn it, or unravel it, or....  who knows.  So, pictured below is the start of it - the eyes!

The beginning.

Last night at knitting night with Ellen and Shirley, I was tired but I made several flowers.  They are pictured below.  Soon I am off to the Folsom Thursday Night Fair.  I am glad it is not as hot as it was yestereday.

I wanted to work on the mittens, but i just did not have the attention!

There is some BBQ pork in the crock pot, and some rice in the rice cooker.  It will be ready when the rest of the family gets home.  Before I go I think I will gather yarn for the monster.  Wish me luck!  Enjoy your evening.
Love, Lanie

Day 15

I hate the heat.  It is hard to knit with anything but cotton, or maybe silk in the heat.  Luckily, the flowers I am making to sell at the Folsom Thursday Night fair tomorrow are being made with a cotton blend.!  I have been turning the flowers into pins.  My lovely friend Liz has a booth at the fair and is taking some of my pony tail holders and my pins.  I will be there for a few hours helping her, too.  She makes beautiful wind chimes, hangings and stained glass pieces.  Come on out and enjoy the Thursday Night in Folsom.  I hear it is tons of fun (I have never been!)
Anyway, it has been hard to settle down to knitting or crocheting today.  I made some flowers, like I said, but now I cannot find them to take a photo!  Once I get finished with dinner which is in the oven on this hot day, I will go look for the flowers which I a sure I put somewhere 'safe'!

I was making them while watching the oddest movie "Kings and Coronets" I think was the title.  Alec Guiness plays about 8 people in the movie including one woman....  It was a very strange old black and white murder mystery.  They kept killing off the Alec Guiness characters.

Okay, I found the flowers.

I love looking through all the vintage buttons and deciding on one to use.

There is the back of one.

Tonight is our knitting night, usually at Peet's, but they are closing early so we are meeting at my newly retired friend Ellen's house!  I have gathered up yarn to work on a striped ball so that is what I am starting on today.  Although, I am also needing to work on another gauge swatch for the mittens.  I also found a pattern for a crocheted basket.  I want to make one and put the veggies I have made, and some more that I want to make.  Also some flowers.

Yarn choice overload!

I am discombobulated.  Here are some pictures that reflect my inner mess.  I began to rifle through my yarn to decide what to do next and here is the result:

I wish I could not only organize my yarn and patterns and accessories, but keep them in order.  It is a struggle.......

Should i organize by yarn weight?  Color?  type?  argh.
Have fun all, I am off to the knitting group.  More tomorrow!   Love, Lanie

day 14

Hello all!  It has been a rough day for me.  I said good bye to my sister and her family this morning as they got ready to drive off to their new life in Dallas.  It hit me hard how our extended family is dwindling and changing.  I don't like it.  But I do have to accept it.  I am working on it. 

Now to the knitting.  I finished a little sheep tonight while at our knitting and crocheting group at Craftology.  I asked for help naming her, and Carolyn came up with Beatrice.  Let me know what you think!  This is the same undyed thick and think yarn that Diana gave me.  And some charcoal yarn I have been using for lots of things. 

Here is Beatrice standing on my laptop!

I am starting on a pair of mittens I have wanted to make for a long time.  The pattern is by Jared Flood and is gorgeous and looks fun to knit!  I have several of his patterns, but this will be the first I have made.  I am really looking foward to it.  There is cabling, but also just knit through the back loops, which gives it that twisting look.  I have been going through my stash (I am not allowing myself to buy any new yarn for this project...) and am making some gauge swatches with a couple of yarns.  Right now I am trying to make this with some red Lorna's Laces sock yarn.  I tried some other yarn but I think this will work.  If you look closely, you will see that I have only cast on the stitches.  I made a swatch using size 7, but an going to try this next one with 5's.  Wish me luck!

Mittens!

 

 

 

I hope you all had a wonderful day, and have a beautiful tomorrow.
Lanie

Day 13

When I woke up this morning I was not sure exactly what my day was going to look like.  I knew I had to work a little at the shop, but many other things I needed to do were flexible.  My sister Terry is here for one more day and she did pick a pattern for a vest for me to knit for her.  We did have the option to go shopping for yarn for her, but we ended up deciding to go to Turlock with Zander to see him play a soccer game.  I used to spend all my weekends at soccer games and tournaments and since he went off to college, my weekends are free!  It has taken me almost this whole last school year to realize and get used to having free weekends.  But I do miss watching soccer games.
We had fun!  Zander drove, the weather was HOT, but i got some color, watched some good soccer and had fun hanging out with my sister.  The boys lost the game, but it was a very competitive game and fun to watch. 
The other good news is that I got my knitting and crocheting done on the drive down and back.  It's about a 2 hour drive one way. 
I made some mice!  Much better than the real mice my cats bring in - sometimes live, sometimes dead.  Ugh.

Eeek!  a mouse!

And the I started on a finger puppet.  These are super cute, so if it turns out, i will make a bunch of puppets.

Little girl finger puppets

I am learning some things not only about my crafting but other things while working on this 365 project..  Like I need to take a bit more time and be willing to start over when things do not go well and improve my finishing techniques, but that I can be inspired by almost anything.  I also need to get some more self confidence with my skills.  I love seeing my little items come to life.  It's amazing watching the 'string' twirl around and become something.  I do enjoy it.  The other thing I have learned is I cannot make things I don't really like.  Or work with yarn that does not feel good.  I have done both things many times, but I am too old to be always doing things I don't like.  I do many things I have to do, so I need to do some things I like doing!  Sounds like a big DUH but I learn things slowly..........
Enjoy the heat,
see you tomorrow,
Lanie

day 12

Sunday!  I have not gotten out of the house all day, or even out of my pajamas!!  We all woke up too early and went to bed to late.  Naps all around.  :-)
I had a bit of an emotional hangover from hosting the party and contemplating saying a final good bye to my Dallas bound sister and her family.  *Sigh*
I miss them already and they leave Tuesday!

I did get a lot of hand work done today.  I finished the lamb and a flower or two. 

Little Lamb!  I think I might invest in some black roving as the white shows through.

This lamb needs a name - anyone have an idea?

Here is the flower.  I turned it into a pin.  Some of my items are for sale on etsy and some will be at the Folsom Thursday Night Fair.  Ladies keep asking for the pony tail holders to be made into pins (brooches) so I will be working on a bunch!

Vintage button in the center.  A geranium pattern....

 

While my sister Terry and I were looking through my extensive pattern collection, looking for a pattern for a vest for me to make for her,  I came across a pattern for a mouse.  So, below is a picture of the yarn I have gathered to make a start on it. 
If it was up to me, I would spend all day, or most of it, with breaks for going to Going Vertical to work out, creating stuff with yarn and fiber.  Well, maybe add to that doing it on a house on a beach, with a porch to sit and work in, with breaks for swimming in the warm ocean. 
Okay, now I have gotten off into my fantasy life.....  Back to reality!  Here are the pictures. 

I hope our cats don't chase these!!

I am looking forward to a quiet evening, after a quiet day.  More hilarity tomorrow.  Work, Maybe a trip to Turlock to see Zander play a soccer game.  I may need to make another pie as the ones I made yesterday got RAVE reviews.  I love it when folks enjoy my creations whether they are made with yarn or flour, butter & sugar....it gives me pleasure.
Enjoy your day, your evenings and your family.
Lanie

day 11

Day 11.  June 11, 2011

I did not have much time today to knit or crochet.  I finished a flower and started on one.  Cute crocheted flowers I turn into pony tail holders, headbands or pins.

The one with the button is finished!

We had a big party here at our house for my sister and her family.  It was a going away party as they are moving to Dallas....  I am very sad about it, but I know they are doing what they think is best for them.
We had great food, mostly courtesy of our cousin Marie!  Yummy ribs and chicken, bbq'd by her partner Peter, YUM!
I did have time to make 2 pies.  Both turned out Delicious!

This is a blueberry cream cheese.  Soooo good!

And a chocolate Pecan, because everything is better with chocolate!  (and homemade whipped cream!)

One thing i can do is make a mean pie!!

Everyone had a good time, ate well and had a nice visit.  As my kids get older, it seems sometimes our extended family is shrinking.  The kids go off to college and their lives, and they don't come home as often, or when they do, they have many other things they want to do than hang out with us.  Our parents have passed away, and now instead of 3 of the 4 siblings living in the Sacramento area, it will be just two of us.  It is hard to get us all together at once.
I am grateful for the family I do have, for the friends I have, and for the gifts I have been given.  I am tired, and since I started this blog before midnight, it counts for June 11th, I say!
Love ya!
Lanie