Special Day

If you can figure this out you win the prize!

Fair Food

Can you see the theme going here?  I had some fun gathering pictures of some of the food booth signs, this is only a small representation of what actually exists!

No, I didn't sample all of them!

the Great MN get-together!

Here's my posse in fair-going attire.  The little bag hung across the body was a definite fashion statement!  As you can see, there were a few other people attending last Friday, it was a hot sweaty mass of humanity.  We did get to see our favorite things, except I didn't make it over to the barns to see the giant hog.  Did see the giant pumpkins, though.  We had to take a picture with one of the DNR guys, Marilee always love a man in uniform!  

It's a Hat!

Not that I have any imminent babies around here, but I got interested in this book, borrowed it from Maggie (thank you thank you), promptly knit up the Rainbow Marley and it is sooo cute!  I heard an interview of the author, Susan B. Anderson, on a back podcast of Craftsanity.  Maggie had showed me her book awhile back, but hearing the story behind the book got me interested in looking into it more closely.  Then I remembered this "antique" yarn I have, purchased when I worked at

  The Yarnery in 1980.  It is called Roly-Sport and was made by Wm. Unger Co., I don't think it is made anymore, maybe the company doesn't even exist now.  But I had 5 colors and it looked about the right weight, so I gave it a shot and it worked!  Not hard, the little topknot was kind of a pain in the behind to do, I was very tempted to cut corners and not do as many tendrils as the instructions said, but now that its done I am glad I followed the instructions.  Now I'm off to meet my Posse (minus Leisl plus Marilee) to cruise the fair, won't be weighing myself for a few days!

Hello!

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since my last post!  I'll blame it on the Olympics, which require me to sit in the recliner with knitting in hand.  Lots of fun watching the competition, but what I like best is the stories about the athletes and the interviews with them.  It's hard to comprehend the level of dedication they need to do what they do, and for years and years.  Makes me feel like a slug!  I have fallen by the wayside of the road to physical fitness.  The last time I felt really in shape was when I did the AIDS ride from Minneapolis to Chicago, that was quite a few years back.  But my 3 months of training for that was a drop in the bucket to what these Olympians do.

Spent a couple days in Iowa last weekend, stayed with Mom and Dad, visited Jarry, Mary, Spencer, then back home again.  I love driving through the farmland, I really like the view of the horizon with rolling hills, a grove and buildings scattered here and there, an occasional watertower.  And wind generators!  When I lived there (NW Iowa) the wind was just a given, not really remarkable.  Well, now it is serving a purpose other than drying the clothes on the line!  It's almost like before it was invisible but always present, and now it is a visible presence as the turbines turn.  The corn and beans look so healthy, except for the fields pounded by a recent severe hailstorm, which look very sad.  I guess those who engage in farming are used to the risk of Mother Nature, but for me it is troubling and just not fair!  These photos highlight Shadow the wonder dog, Nora's sweet kitty, and Mary's beautiful rose.

Sock is done!

Yay!  I celebrated by wandering into the yarn aisle when I had to go to Joanne's and thought about what I would want to do next.  Didn't actually buy yet, just trying to mind my money and make use of what I already have.  But a girl can dream!

Thank you Marilee!  When we met for girls' dinner out on Wednesday, I never imagined that I would receive such a beautiful rose bouquet!  The color is awesome and they have opened up enough to look gorgeous!

Just returned from a day at the quilt shop, it was busy with people visiting for the Shop Hop, so there wasn't much spare time.  We have recently unpacked some excellent fabric that is making it very hard to just say no!  Came home to my lovely quiet empty house, which to some may not sound like fun but to me it's just right!  Picked some green beans and zucchini from the garden, I will have a healthy supper tonight with steamed green beans and some strawberries.  Maybe catch an Olympic update, I did see the last half hour of last night's ceremonies which were fantastic.  But mostly tonight it is all about me and Emma, gotta get some quiltin' done!  My ipod is loaded up with many more podcasts than I can listen to at one session, so that should carry me over into tomorrow.  Look for quiltie pics in the near future!

of yarn and such

I am hoping to finish up a sock today, I am at the toe decrease so that is good.  This pair is for my dad, my second attempt to give him something to keep his toes warm through the winter.  My first sock for him was way too big, luckily I only made one and sent it to him to try on.  So I got that sock back, but haven't made its mate yet because it was a skein of yarn that isn't big enough to make another sock of the same size, and I haven't been able to dig up a matching skein anywhere.  So now I am waiting to meet someone with one large foot!  The pair I am finishing now will hopefully be closer to a good fit.  The yarn is Fortissima Colori, a wool/poly blend.

I chose to stay home from Knit Night at Shepherd's Choice last night, feeling kind of bogged down with a sort of a cold that has me all stuffed up, sneezy, sniffly.  So I got some quilting done on a project that is pretty different.  It is a charity donation quilt made by a friend from the hospital, she is contributing it to a fundraiser for the Emergency Nurses Association.  She collected men's ties from people associated with the organization and healthcare, so it is pretty unusual.  I am done with quilting the black background, now outlining the ties themselves.  It is an interesting challenge!

I am also showing you a finished knit lace scarf, it turned out nicely, a project from Borealis Yarns.  Surprisingly, a new shawl pin that I was just recently given is a perfect match for the colors of the yarn!