Peter, What Were You Thinking? Or Was It Posie?

Rabbits! They are so cute and so destructive.  Two weeks ago we planted a beautiful crocosmia and were so happy when it started blooming.  Happy, that is, until almost all the flower stalks and leaves were chewed off. Peter/Posie was caught in the act, and now a fence is in place.  Oh well, it's a nice bouquet!

When I wasn't chasing rabbits, I was working on a couple of projects.  One of them is a pair of socks. The pattern is Dragonfly Socks (see Ravelry) from the fun Dragon swap last winter.  Dee, do you recognize the yarn?

Here's block eight of my Sunbonnet Sue TAST project.  Only four more to go!

The whole family is rejoicing because Madeline got to come home last Sunday after 26 days in the NICU. (She and Max are second cousins.)  I wonder how old she'll be before we get to MN again to see her up close?

On the Needles and Off!

I've been very naughty..... Several years ago I made a hat for Sophia that was trimmed with fabric ruffles, so when I saw this "yarn," I knew it was a matter of time before I had to try it. Well, instead of working on my Trapeze KAL shawl, I've been playing with ruffles. What fun! Paradise Fibers has a very helpful video that got me started, and I have a stash of ruffly stuff a-waiting.

The Blathnat socks are DONE! They were a fun knit, but as usual quite a bit of time went by between Sock one and Sock two. But I am gradually whittling away at my SSS pile. Yay!

For a change of pace I knit a new dishcloth pattern for a friend's birthday. I love to couple a handknit cloth with some lovely soap from my friend Judy at Cranberry Morning.

Over the past three weeks, I've learned 3 new embroider stitches that can be seen on this Sunbonnet Sue block: linked double chain stitch, Pekinese stitch, and the cast on stitch. The whole block should be finished by next weekend. If you're interested in the details of these stitches see TAST on the sidebar.

Several times I've posted about Suzanne Tidwell's yarnbombing. We stumbled on her more recent display at the Redmond Towne Center shopping center. I counted about 25 lanterns in "Luminous," all knitted and all different!

Here are a couple of close ups.

And here's today's photo of the little guy who wonders how come I don't just quit all this handwork and play with him full time! It's tempting.

Off Celebrating!

We've been gone for a few days, off to the Oregon Coast to celebrate our 47th anniversary. It's a bit of a distance to Newport, OR, from here, so we spent the first night in the Portland area. (Before we headed to the coast, we stopped at Twisted, a wonderful yarn shop and, of course, did not leave empty handed.) We spent two nights here at Little Creek Cove.  Our condo was on the left side.

The weather was absolutely perfect, and we were treated to two gorgeous sunsets.  As you can see, this beach has lots of sand which makes for interesting walking.

If we walked out far enough, we could see the Yaquina Head lighthouse in the distance.  Can you imagine living there?  The time passed all too quickly, just like these forty-seven years have done.  What a fun get away!

When we got back home, we played with our new solar powered garden lights but haven't quite decided where their permanent home will be.

We also picked a few roses.  They were late to bloom this year, but the wait has been well worth it.  Perfect timing, I'd say!

Sun, Shade, and Yes, Yarn!

Can you believe we missed seeing this example of yarnbombing at the baseball stadium?  Thanks to our son's friend we at least got to see a photo.  Fun, huh?

Two weekends ago we headed across our mountains to Spokane in search of sun....and yarn.  We found both.  If you get a chance, visit Paradise Fibers either online or in person.  You may be overwhelmed with all the choices though.

On Saturday it was so beautiful, we decided to explore the northeast corner of our state.  In so doing, we also learned a bit of history

and found a wonderful roadside rest.

Can you imagine this view from your living room window?

The little boy in this picture gives you an idea of the height of the falls. We also saw lots of interesting plants.

Twin flower

I think this is staghorn fern.  Does anyone know?

The Box Canyon bridge was completed in 1910, the same year Dad was born.

Driving back home, we saw lots of "amber waves of grain!"  And yes, it was still cloudy when we got home, so we fully appreciated our brief escape to the sunshine.

Be careful what you wish for!  We finally got some warm weather last weekend.  On Sunday the thermometer hit 93 degrees, breaking a 35 year record !  The day before, we headed for a spot we knew would be cool, Deception Pass.  First we stopped in Mount Vernon at their Saturday Farmer's Market,
and then we checked out another very nice yarn shop called Wild Fibers.  Be sure to visit if you're ever in the area!

How many people could circle this tree?

We walked down to the beach and saw lots of other folks who'd also come down here to cool off. You can see both sections of the bridge from this spot.  It carries lots of traffic every day.  After a pleasant afternoon, we headed back home, and on Monday morning our clouds were back.  It was a very quick summer!

Stunts in the Air

Yesterday while almost everyone in the neighborhood was either inside staying cool or watching the Olympics, we trekked up our hill in the mid-day heat (it was a record-breaking 93!) to watch the Blue Angels perform their stunts high above Lake Washington.  They were in town for Seafair.

A family with two little bored boys was right beside us. The oldest, maybe 5, was whining impressively until the accomdating Angels flew right over our heads.

and headed off, I think, right over our house. All the dishes seemed to be in place when we got home though.  Gold worthy flying, don't you agree?

Ever since January 2012 I've been working on my own goal: to incorporate the weekly TAST (link on sidebar) stitches onto a block per month of these SunBonnet Sue designs. Number seven is done. Hurrah!

Look who has his own new stunt!!!  Thanks for the photo, Catherine.

Welcome to the World, Madeline!

It's been a scary few weeks, but Madeline Taylor Eliason arrived safely yesterday evening. Our niece was hospitalized a few weeks ago and on bedrest  because Madeline wanted arrive way too early. Thankfully, she waited a bit and weighed in at 5 pounds 6 ounces even though she wasn't due until next month. Praise the Lord for modern medicine!  And welcome, Baby Madeline.  Your blankie will be on its way shortly. (details on Ravelry)

Almost 5 years ago this month, our grand daughter was born, and she'll soon be celebrating that day.  Her dolly has been at our house since last Christmas because dolly just didn't fit into the suitcase and seemingly hasn't been missed.  Well, Dolly misses Sophia and will be going home in style with a new dress,

a new sweater set,

and thanks to Linda, a new bed.  Have a Happy Birthday, Sophia!

Meanwhile, I've been working on Sun Bonnet Sue and learning the Basque stitch

and the Oyster stitch.

Actually, I finished up this block this afternoon and will post it soon.