And from the "What the HELL?" category......

It's V's birthday, so we are having a party. So, I make my list.

groceries
laundry
clean the fridge
guest list
make desserts
make floating candles
completely redo the entire bathroom......

"What the hell?"

Perhaps I should just frame out a new addition to the house while I am at it? No, let's stick to taking down wallpaper.






Oh, yeah. I think I may have overstretched it this time just a little. It's a problem I have. Just one more thing to add to the little list of things to do before the weekend....never mind that it is a job that should take a couple of weeks. (or in my case several months due to my flitting attention span) I just get distracted easily.....that's all. Hauntingly similar to the way I prepare to leave for an overnight gig in another town. I must complete a year's worth of housework in one hour. I dunno. Perhaps I am unwittingly punishing myself for not having done it, oh, say, two years ago. Oh, did I mention I almost caught my hair on fire?????? That's me. Sharonarooni the Great Human Tiki Torch. But back to the wall.......as I peel wallpaper and cuss........what do I see but this little morsel of what is actually underneath.





NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!



On a brighter note-borders are coming along on my Pennants Quilt.





And Elizabeth I.




I know. Not exactly eye candy, is it? I never claimed to be a photographer....only the owner of a camera. I am working both sleeves together because we all know about my attention span now....and my affinity for leaving projects with one arm done. It will not happen this time. I swear it. :0)

Ever closer

I only have ten blocks left for the center of the Pennants quilt! That means 70 down and a boat load of borders to go. I think I need more light yellows........maybe in the closet.....




One of my favorite blocks. This check material just glows. Kaffe, I love you...in a purely platonic way, of course.




I scored this little guy at an estate sale this morning. I plan to reupholster it in some odd fashion, but I will leave the turquoise intact underneath in case I ever decide to sell it later. Nothing like a little "mid century" investment. I am still kicking myself for a chair I left on the curb when we moved a couple of years ago. I knew I would regret that one. UGH! And that is why I am a pack rat....and should most likely stay away from estate sales.



Now, since this IS a knitting blog...I have been diligently finishing my old Elizabeth I this summer. Remember her? I will have pics up soon. I am finished with the front and back and am now working both arms at the same time on one Knit Picks circular needle. It is A LOT of plain knitting and very tiny needles, so it is taking a very long time. Does anyone else get sleepy when they have to knit copious amounts of plain knitting?

Fassett rides again....

It's been a while, eh? Not that I haven't thought about updating....I just couldn't seem to get the internet up to speed. In case you haven't figured it out, I am not the most technologically advanced being on the planet. But I do know when something is awry.


We recently went to a voice over phone system. Immediately our high speed internet slowed to a less-than-dial-up speed. Phone call after phone call. Trouble shooting. It's your computer...it's your router......someone is using your band width. Yeah. darn right! You are!!!! I did some research. Gave them the boot. Low and behold. I am up and running again. No wonder they only have 2 million customers.


Now, on to my Fassett news. You know I love Kaffe Fassett? Do you? I have been working since last year on his Tumbling Blocks quilt. Remember that? Now I am finally hand quilting it. What d'ya think?





It is my first serious attempt at it so it is slow going, but I am really enjoying it. I was hoping to finish in time for the State Fair, but I think it is out of the question. Maybe next year.....

Here is another top I am working on. It is the Kaffe Fassett Pennants quilt. It is done in yellows and ochres and a lot of jewel tones. This has been a BLAST to work on. The saturation of color thrills me. His riotous use of color has always attracted me. I would love nothing more than to fill my house with his fabrics.





There is a long way to go as you can see from this picture in the Fassett book.




I have been diligently working on a halter top by Amy Butler. After 2 attempts and 2 failures for myself but great presents for my buddies, I decided to try it in a knit material as suggested on some other sewing sites. Ta Da! Wisdom of the masses.



And just when I had almost given up hope that my body was not grotesquely deformed. I think my next project will be bust alterations on my pattern. We are not all A cups, Amy, for the love of God. I do love the girl's patterns and fabric design, tho.


Place mats for Mom-for a little sunshine in the kitchen. Love ya, Mom!




Here is some sock yarn in progress. Paris Sparkle.




It is tencel and super wash merino with a little glitz thrown in. Spins great and I am so happy because I ordered several shades from the same Etsy seller. She is theranch on Etsy. Wow! What colors and fibers and she is an absolute pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend her work. She got it to me in no time....now it is just up to me........hmmmmm. I plan to order again from her.


We were lucky enough to have some cardinals nest right outside our living room window in one of the house plants. We were able to see the whole process from nesting to the babies finally leaving the nest. It was just beautiful to watch them grow every day. In the end I think two made it. One of those two I had to rescue from the pool. Oh yes. Diving for chicks. I was a bird in my previous life, you see....






And last but not least. A little story.

I recently decided to go for a swim. It is nothing out of the ordinary...it has been 100 almost every day. So, I swim. Swim, swim, swim. While I swim I am thinking of a news story last night about how they are short on rabies vaccinations this year. I smugly think to myself, "Well, I will never be in that situation anyway." My how smugness gets one into trouble. Three minutes later I notice a fowl smell emanating from the pool filter. You know the one. The death smell. "Oh, one of the baby birds fell in again and I bet he is in the filter." This is what I think. I open it. I see a sad little floating body and I am even sadder when I see it is one of the babies. I practically raised these babies myself! Ok, I didn't feed them....but theoretically, I was there. Right there. Oh, agony. My broken heart. Then, I reach to get the skimmer....and I see an ear. WAIT! Birds don't have ears on the outside. Good Lord!!! That's a BAT! Well, now. Who's been swimming in rabies NOW? Oh-MY-GOD!!!!!! I rush in and call CDC in the off chance there could be an open cut contact with saliva in the pool water. They put me on hold. They can't find any data. I start to panic. Could I become rabid? Regardless of what my students say, I HAVE NEVER BEEN RABID BEFORE. CDC can't find anything so they give me a State Health Line number to call. I do, wrong number. I think I have awoken a college student in Austin from a drunken stupor. "No Man. This isn't the Texas Health Department." "Thanks. Sorry to have awoken you at 3 o'clock IN THE AFTERNOON." I rush to the phone book and locate the the right number. The longer this takes the more convinced I am that I will soon start attacking my own pets. Or I might need a stake through my heart. Is the sun becoming brighter? It rings. I am beginning to wonder how one cuts off a bat head let alone actually ships it to the health department. UPS? FedEx? Post office. "Is there anything hazardous in this package ma'am?" "Well, it depends on your point of view...." It rings. An answer. "Let me put you in touch with the bat specialist", she says. Did she snicker? Is there really a bat specialist, or are they just humoring me while they pinpoint my location? "No ma'am", he says. "The chlorine will negate any small trace of saliva if he was even rabid. Let me tell you how to safely get rid of the body......".