Summertime

June 26, 2023 Vicki10 Comments

We had some much-needed rain yesterday (and it continues today)!

As you can see, it did not dampen our fun. A very small thunderstorm went through early, giving Addie the opportunity to check a couple of items off his Summertime Bucket List (100 things) that he's been working on — a challenge between a few friends (each with their own list).

Everything went pretty much as scheduled… I picked up Ann & Addie at the airport on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, Maddy drove up from Milwaukee where she'd been hanging out (in jetlag recovery) for a few days; Brian & Mack drove up from Madison; Ali came in with the kids; Kate went out to set up camp with Ducky but came back to hang with us for a while. We were a happy and raucous bunch yesterday!

Note to self: Need photos of girls (and everyone else)… more of them & less awkward (but they sure make me smile).

Plenty more of that to come in the next month or so.

Unraveled Wednesday / Knit & Read

Unraveled Wednesday: A day late!

June 22, 2023 Vicki6 Comments

I had a stellar day off yesterday, beginning with a 9 am dentist appointment. I continue to use my water flosser about 99.9% of the time, and it shows!

Though I questioned past-me for that 9 am appointment, yesterday-me decided to roll with it… I contemplated a nap but it never happened! Instead, I focused on organizing & cleaning out my workroom.

I tossed a couple of things, including a Christmas wreath that my sister Karen & I made for our mom… in 1991. It featured the handprints of the five grandchildren to-date; there were three more to come! I took some photos and tossed it in the bin.
I sorted, counted & listed 11 bags of yarn that I'd purchased for dyeing but know I'll never get to!
I filled a box of books to send to Ziffit — the second in as many weeks. Kate used that service in Scotland when she was cleaning out & paring down for the move back to the US. You use the app to scan the ISBN and get an instant valuation — some are pretty low, some they don't want (right now), and every once in a while there's a surprise — then box up the books, print out a FedEx shipping label, and drop the box at a nearby pick-up location (mine happens to be Walgreens)! They pay the shipping, review the books for condition/final value, and send you cash. It's kind of fun, and I've averaged about $30/box.
I rearranged some things to take advantage of all the newfound space, reducing some clutter along the way.
I took a bunch of aluminum cans to the recycling center (reducing clutter in the garage)!
I played around with an idea for a handmade/handprinted graduation card.
I charted the name/date for another Christmas Stocking… the kind I said that I'd never knit again. haha. The kids' grandmother is very charming, and also very appreciative; apparently, I can't resist.

I also washed & dried Mack's blanket!! Official FO post will occur after his graduation party, which is in about two weeks!

Meanwhile, there's a different FO to report! I'm joining Kat & the Unravelers today for Unraveled Wednesday Thursday…

KNITTING:

My Ravelry Project Page: Our Solar System on a One-way Trip to Musselburgh for Kate!
Pattern: Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Gauge Dye Works Classic – Merino Twist Self-Striping, "Our Solar System One-Way Trip" colorway
Needles: US 3 DPNs
Start to Finish: April 20, 2022-June 21, 2023

This was my travel/carry-along knitting when the blanket(s) were too unwieldy. I have two more hanks of this yarn in the "Colour Study: Colourwheel" colorway, and the plan is to make a hat & a pair of socks for Maddy & Viv!

Oops, not sure why that second photo is so small. Editing photos a little differently, so I'm sure it's operator error!

We're in the middle of a stretch of 80º+F-degree days, so no need for a nice warm hat right now, but Kate will be very warm in about 5-6 months!

READING:

Honestly, I've barely cracked a book other than the ones I've put into a box to send away! Things are about to go a little crazy around here and I feel like I won't have a "free" day/minute for anything until sometime in August! We'll see. Ann & Addie arrive on Saturday and stay over at my house because theirs is occupied until Sunday @ noon, which is when Brian & Mack will be driving up from Madison; Maddy arrives on Sunday (SQUEE!!) (she's currently in Milwaukee!); and I pick up Rusty on Wednesday after his month-long trip to CA.

Ali+Rod : June 15th

Ten Years!

June 15, 2023 Vicki6 Comments

Happy Anniversary!

It's been fun over the past few days to see my FB memories — picking up & delivering the altered/repaired dress, quilts on the line, decorating the tent, stringing up the lights — it was a magical wedding.

Ten years and four kids later, they're still cute, having fun, and in love. I recall more than a few people raising questions about their 20-year age difference and, well, I think it's working out okay!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, ALI + ROD
!!!!!!!!!!

Ali+Rod : June 15th — all you every wanted to know about the wedding, the dress (which was my mom's), the wedding shawls, etc.

Uncategorized

Making a book

June 14, 2023 Vicki9 Comments

I don't really have much to share in the way of knitting, though I have finished weaving in all the ends on Mack's blanket (HALLELUJAH!!), so I'm not joining Kat & the Unravelers today… but scootch on over and see what everyone's making!

I have been mildly interested in recent months (okay… watched tutorials, obtained materials and dabbled a bit) in making a book by hand. Lucky for me, Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum offered a workshop a couple of weeks ago. And I wrangled Kate & Ali to come along, and we sure had fun!

There was a fair bit of advance work done for us — seven of the eight signatures had been cut & folded — because we sure didn't need to spend precious workshop time folding paper! We did make the last signature, though, and then chose leather for the cover & closure, punched holes (Ali & I both broke our awls) and sewed them up!

Though I had watched tutorials and took a stab at making a book, there really is nothing like the experience & assistance one gets at a hands-on workshop! We were sailing along in no time… haha, well, the workshop did go about a half-hour over!

We cut the covers for our books from the same piece of leather — I really liked the idea of that — but the girls chose to flip their pieces around so the suede side was out. We each used a different color of waxed linen thread for binding, and we all did something a little different for the closure.

Our lovely instructor, Stephanie, took the photo above — didn't she get a great angle? haha.

It's a lovely, lay-flat book… with some flaws, but HEY, I MADE A BOOK! We're all really looking forward to making more and experimenting with different papers and cover ideas. I don't know if we'll have an opportunity for Auntie Camp, but making a simple(r) book would definitely be among the choices offered this year!

Unraveled Wednesday / Knit & Read

Unraveled Wednesday: The Endless Weaving-in

June 7, 2023 Vicki11 Comments

I'm joining Kat & the Unravelers today for Unraveled Wednesday!

KNITTING:

Actually, it's going better than I realized! I thought I was about half-way with the ends, but the photo I took this morning tells the tale!

Might I dare to dream that it'll be an FO at this time next week?!

It's still somewhat daunting, even at this stage, but I just keep plugging away.

The recipient & his dad were supposed to fly from Lima on Thursday but have been delayed because, as a minor, Mack needed written permission from his mom! Ann's not too sad about it all, and the boys will wait until after Mack's 18th (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) birthday* next week, meanwhile getting paperwork/permission together for Addie… because he'll need permission from his dad to fly in a couple of weeks with Ann.

READING:

I haven't quite finished Trespasses yet. Why We Cook: Women on Food, Identity, and Connection is excellent bedtime reading… and I'm in no hurry.

Kate & I went to Minneapolis last weekend and, besides food, books became a focus… she's been percolating a project in which books play a part, and we had just attended a very successful workshop with Ali where we MADE our own books. One of the best shops we visited was Magers & Quinn Booksellers. There are so many, though, we didn't even scratch the surface. I came away with a great book about making books, and a nice little haul for the kiddos, too!

*Somehow, I also have a daughter celebrating 10 years of marriage this month! How??