GARDEN,QUILT,KNITTING

the past week was a time for me to catch up and finish some projects that were hanging around for too long. sometimes when projects are soooo close to be being done i can't muster the energy to finish that last little bit. but when the finish it up mojo does come on- i move and can finish up several projects !

oh, does that ever leave a good feeling in my heart.

my garden is not doing great, disappointment plus,

but what is one harvest in a gardner's life?

i need to keep this all in perspective and learn any gardening lessons that present themselves.

i'm still wondering how healthy my soil is. i know it is far better this summer than the past summers but i was expecting better yields this year.

i used few GMO seeds, mainly heritage seeds and i'm not sure if their germination rates are lower or am i doing something wrong. 

oh well back to the books.............

i finished a " modern quilt " 

new for me.

i prefer traditional quilts but their is something appealing  about negative space in some modern quilts. one of the attractions for me is the machine quilting opportunities.

i love lots of quilting in quilts and modern quilts are quilted heavily and very uniquely. 

i'm happy with this simple modern quilt. i really like all the straight lines and that grey fabric is so wonderful, the printed fabric is sweetwater- a favorite designer.

and finally "harvest moon" is being blocked. i will be starting another harvest moon very soon for daughter #2....she like green !

hope your weekend was peaceful yet productive :)

YARN ALONG and READING

all that fiber i bought at the Wool Festival in Estes Park, well i started cleaning it today.

my instructions from the owner of " betty " was to fill a cooler with hot water and put half the fleece in the cooler, close the lid and let soak for an hour or two.

then empty water, refill with hot water and a little dawn soap-

let soak an hour or two.

empty water again

only to refill with hot water for the rinse. let soak an hour or two.

let the cooler drain 

then pick up the wool and let dry on a " sunny back porch ".

will let you know how it all turns out later.....

here is the cake i spun up using a merino and silk blend, [ also from the Wool Festival ],

it came to 90 grams.

i really need to get a yardage counter and soon.

i will turn this beauty into a dew drop cowl.
a free pattern i found on ravelry.

hopefully casting on later today.

my sister MM highly recommended farmacology to me , and thus far i am really enjoying it. i think it should be a course in medical school.

medicine seems to treat only symptoms these days and not the whole person. oh i do not put all the blame on medicine,  after all it is what we have asked our physicians to do.

if you doubt this fact just look at how " family medicine" is becoming a thing of the past. yes along with the days that doc's made home visits...[ i know i have just aged myself but if you do not believe that at one time it was the norm for the doctor to visit a sick family member in the home....get a history book. it's true! the thought being why would anyone bring a contagious person out into a public waiting room.]

any way it is a good read- well worth your time!

linking with ginny at yarn along

ELK and FIBER

what's been going on?

a little of this and a little of that.

spent 5 days in Rocky Mountain Park

and it was lovely !

i do not think the park has been that green in years.

a lush green that was hard to take my eyes off.

the trees were green, not that horrible brown from beetle kill.

between all the fires last summer and the forrest service cutting down beetle kill pine the forrest is coming back and it's 

green again!

saturday i spent in estes park at the wool festival.

i came home [ to our trailer, parked in RMP ]

with 2 skeins of yarn and about 61/2 pounds of fiber to spin.

41/2 pounds being in the the form of a fleece!

what was i thinking ?

i have never prepared a fleece for spinning, but this was irresistible--so soft, off white and very oily.

and i even have the name of the sheep it was from.....yes i have a name and a connection to this fiber.

weird i know but it was a selling point for me for some strange reason.

on the spool above i spun some merino and silk---

it is lovely.

i have the project picked out for this yarn.....

well that is some of where and what i have been doing.

that and working !
guess it is time for me to get some needed chores done around here.
the usual---laundry, floors, bathrooms and yes some cooking.
i'm all ready wanting to go back to RMP. 

what is new in your world?

LET'S REMEMBER - MEMORIAL DAY

and say thank you!

HOW TIME FLIES

Oh my stars, has it ever been a long time since i posted anything.

yes, i am still on the planet and busy sewing tops, quilting and of course knitting.

i have decided that ravelry- a favorite site of mine is as addictive as pinterest.

i can spend hours on either site, lately ravelry is chewing up some of my time.

nathan has been here for a week plus and how wonderful to have him home.

he and mr.p went to the big horn for some quality fishing time. now home for the holiday weekend.

we will be doing some grilling and having some family here for good eats.

the youngest came home too for the weekend......that sweet girl has switched to the night shift and has her clock all round backwards. today will be sloooow and nappy for her.

no problem though, that is the speed of my house----slow---relaxed---and please no one move too fast, it will hurt our eyes not to mention make us all anxious. the middle child [ the pie lady ] will be over later for some refreshments and good food.

she has been crazy at her newly acquire coffe-pie shop-------so so happy for her.

stop by her place this weekend if you are in the hood of laporte, 

she will be open this sunday too!

the boy

the boy
at bear lake

i have no idea what i was doing

sweeties at rocky mountain park

wurm hat
the yarn must be 20 years old from my stash

rio baby dress
yarn from trip to china 3 years ago

rio

it is time for a nap-----again.

SPRING and LEAVES OF GRASS

my beautiful spring flower beds are not to be this year

the pictures above are the only spring flowers that have survived the last 5 snow storms,

[ last week's being the worst for flowers].

i did however with all our cold weather finished Leaves of Grass.

this was the most challenging knit i have ever done,

also the most satisfying! i love it ! I used an aran weight yarn so i have a beautiful pi bed spread.

if i knit it in a fingering weight yarn or a lace weight i would have a shawl to wear around town,

perhaps the next time i knit this pattern.

MY FIRST TEST KNIT

I volunteered to do a test knit for Mama4Earth, Natural Suburbia,

it's the SHEPRA HAT.

a wonderful, easy yet interesting knit. 

i use malbrigo yarn, twist, ralvery red color way.

christmas knits have started in my house.