nativity

Again, BFC creations - What fantastic designs, though VERY complex. ONE of these squares has 45 (forty five!) thread color changes. I love this scene - and wanted to make several of tehm for Christmas presents. --not gonna happen this year...

pheasant Stained Glass Window

www.BFC-creations.com

parrot Stained Glass Window

finished iris window

Yes, I know it's not in focus, but this is the best I can do right now.

iris window

unfinished, but still gorgeous

Iris Window from BFC creations - I'm using cotton weavers' cloth in white for sashing. I can't decide whether the sashing should be narrower... Whatcha think?

more embroidery

Big Black Socks

I knit 12 " ribbing, then a heel, then 12" of foot - BIG BLACK SOCKS. times two(you might think, but actually times 4, because...

I made my son (size 14 shoes) a pair of black socks. He's in the Air Force in ALaska, so I made them wool, and black. Then I made 2 more, but not for him. Why?

Socks for Soldiers --http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SOCKFORSOLDIERS/?yguid=61104956
You can too.

more tees

a bunny for my granddaughter, and a '57 Chevy for my grandson

free-standing lace

I have been sewing up a storm, including this butterfly - sewn with Solvy and netting - 3" x 3.75"

flowers w variegated green leaves

silver pineapple on napkin

baby gift

Though it's hard to see, tiny feet and a head barely poke out of the sling.

Fleece and grosgrain ribbon

tee for grand2

tee shirt for grand1

For my birthday, I got an embroidery machine. I wouldn't have done it if my daughter hadn't been with me. I had looked at them the week before, but she seemed really excited about the idea. We had so much fun!!

more socks

I usually knit socks on 4 dps - 6" long, made from bamboo skewers.
I file them with an emery board until they slide through my metal needle gauge.

The last ones I just finished Monday are Trekking Pro Natura (part bamboo - I guess I think it's hilarious that I'm knitting bamboo with bamboo) in a dark blue/green/teal - not stripes, just ...

On the legs and down the instep I did a garter rib (knit one row, next row k2 p2)

I also have one sock done in Austermann Step in a gorgeous set of coppers and dark brown wideish stripes - The pattern on the legs is Green Leaves by Jeannie Townsesnd - beautiful, but would probably be better in a solid color.

And for mindless, interminable knitting, I have 6 inches of rib done on a black Regia Stretch sock for Socks For Soldiers. What a great group of people! I hope I have the stamina to finish one of these that they call BBS (Big Black Socks)

CIC Socks

The burgundy wool is rescued from a purchased, damaged sweater.
The multi is Elann SockItToMe Puzzle
28, 32, and 40 stitches, size 0 or 00 needles

Tidal Wave Jitterbug Parrot

Love everything about these -

Mountain Colors Bearfoot

Steelhead and Elderberry -
and the softest, warmest socks I have ever worn.
In fact, since temps last week were in the 60s and even up to 70, it has been too warm for them. So they'll have to wait til next fall. (But I can caress them from time to time.) ( Perhaps only a knitter could understand that last sentence.)
I saw a woman working on a sock with this yarn in my LYS, and immediately, I grabbed some. This rarely happens for me. Also, I immediately went home and began the first sock, and then completed the next three faster than any other knitting I've ever done. I may have convinced myself that I bought the yarn to make socks for my husband and son, but the socks just ended up my size....

detritus

My husband used the word detritus in ordinary conversation.

I mentioned that most dogs go outside in the fresh air, and come back in smelling better.

Our dog, however, always comes back in smelling horrible.

So he said that she has secret piles of dead animals and other detritus hidden all over.

detritus!

Gotta love an educated man!!

22,000 stitches

22,000 stitches

That's 64 stitches around, 170 rows, times two

Of course people get "second sock syndrome"

I get tired just thinking aobut it.

I guess that's the key - I don't usually think about the number of stitches-

I think of the warm socks.

I think, "I can't wait to cast on that new yarn!"

or

"This color is great in the ribbing, but I bet it's even better in stockinette."

or

I just love knitting with this yarn. It's so soft."

And now what?

Some of these trees are seriously damaged, and will die. Some we will have to cut down to protect our house.

double-decker dining

ladderback woodpecker, finches, and cardinals on ice

doglegs or dragons' manes

These icicles began dripping, then the tree bent over under their weight, and now they have a bend. Some of the more graceful curves make me think of dragons' manes (See the picture in the previous post).

Sounded like gunshots

The Great Storm of 2007
Sounded like gunshots. All day, all night, you could hear the creaking and snapping of branches (or sometimes roots) as trees either bent to the ground, rested on our house, or gave up and snapped. Some trees, refusing to let go of their tops, keeled over as the roots snapped.

Freezing rain began just as we were leaving school Friday January 12. It continued in three waves - ice Friday, ice Sunday, ice again - temps that never got above freezing. Our power went out Friday night, restarted at 4 am, then quit permanently later Saturday morning.

We had no electricity till yesterday(Monday) - ten days with the only heat our fireplace, and the only water what we carried in. Our fireplace kept us sort of warm - low was 56 degrees, but high was 70. Most of the time it hovered around 64. We had sun only one day.

We got rather good at cooking in the fireplace - but "campground" coffee tastes horrible.

Did you know you can totally wash your hair in less than a gallon of water?

We had to chop ourselves out - we are really in the woods - and it seems like every tree is damaged - luckily no major damage to the house. Our neighbors had a tree through their kitchen. We had to drive over downed lines to get to town.

I got to remember why I hate laundromats. And even with every drier going (and people waiting), it was still colder there than at my home.

I discovered that the library is a good place to get warm - if you can get to the library or laundromat. DH went to work most days - he has 4 wheel drive. The day I went to town in my car, it took me six tries to get back up my driveway.

DH found a place that makes ax handles and sells scraps for kindling - $5 for all you can load.

We had no phone til Friday - went out and bought a Go-phone - (you pay in advance for cell minutes)

Used it one day, but they sold us the wrong charger, so it was useless. After we got the right charger and charged it, we used it for just one more day and then got our phone back. But it has been spotty - out again last night. I have long resisted the cell phone craze, but think now that I may need to buckle and sign up.