TURNING 30

not this one

this one

how can it be true, she has turned 30! it is a hallmark birthday to be sure and we had a party for the birthday girl. i can tell you too, my girls have the most wonderful friends!

the food was wonderful, the cake silly and the strawberries over the moon.

i forgot to take pictures of her homemade gifts; a knitted skirt with a touch of fair isle pattern at the bottom, a black with white polka dot a line dress, clothes line basket and one store bought cotton summer dress from her mom. how i still enjoy making clothes for my girls!

and amazingly, we had clouds, cool weather but no rain…the weather gods were smiling on our small party.

WHO MOVED MY STATE?

soo. whats happening in your state? here in colorado what is not happening is my garden…..whaaaaa.

i’m on my third planting, the seeds and plants are rotting in the ground. we Coloradans have  abandoned the gardens and are working on an ark! my house smells funny, that midwestern moldy/humid funny….whaaaaa again!

tomorrow we are celebrating my daughter’s 30th birthday. an outside croqueet, botchy ball, bbq kind of party, 25 people here for dinner, and rain, rain, rain is the predicted weather…whaaaa!

i wish i could say i have spent the last weeks sewing and knitting in all this indoor time.

but lately i just look out the window and sing to myself, ( and the puppies), rain, rain go away come back another week, i mean day.
i have been working on a scrap 2” squares quilt. lots of cutting. lots of sewing.
i’m over the moon with the beginning results.

wishing you a dry sunny saturday.

YARN ALONG

I continue to knit on my Reflections cabled scarf. I have experienced many frustrating moments, starting the scarf over no less than 5 times before crying "it’s not me the pattern has an error". And yes it did that is now corrected by the designer, (my friend actually figured out the error and we sent the info to the designer). I have dropped a stitch twice and twice had to rip back, a few wee mistakes that I noticed but can live with, or better stated my son will never noticed when gifted to him. I must say though, I LOVE this pattern and what an amazing learning experience! I am using yarn grown and processed in Ireland Black Water Abby Yarns, and what a treat to use yarn from Ireland where my family is from. Also,  Alice Starmore book has been helpful as a reference.

Cables, who knew how much fun they could be!

Please join Ginny over at YARN ALONG

THE SUN IS OUT

what a week here on the front range! it has rained everyday, all day for the past 7 days ! what?, i thought i lived on a high plain dessert? truth be told, i enjoyed the cloudy, cold, rainy days and saturday night when the heavy wet snow came in, perfect sleeping weather. living where we have few all day cloudy days let alone a full week of no sun, well…..people start getting weird. i’m talking crabby with drawn weird. by friday people were walking around with eyes cast down, a lethargic one foot in front of the other stroll.  not me, i couldn’t wait to get home to knit! a whole week of comfortably knitting with my irish yarn, or sewing a few more 2’ inch squares together. i did just about everything craft wise but what i should of been working on. i have a girl child that is going to be 30 years old and in only a couple of weeks! how  does this happen? i have so many things to get done for her, things i think she will enjoy using. oh, and yes, i’m having her birthday party here at the house, with games, hot dogs and cake…just like when she was a wee girl of 5. somethings a mom never tires of doing for her kids-a birthday party, no mater if the birthday girl is 5 or 30.

i do believe we are truly turning the corner to the warmer side of spring. in a day or two, more will be planted in the garden, flower pots filled with color and a lot of back porch sitting.

hello spring

( i rarely have all three of my children together, so winter pictures of them).

mother’s day was spent with the girls and mr.p.

number 1 son called me bright and early from Chicago. 

reaping the bennies of being the mom of three great children, (i mean 3 great adult children)!

YARN ALONG

getting into knitting Irish scarfs, using yarn from Ireland. and oh that cabling….confusing, beautiful, can’t get enough, be still my heart. this Irish yarn and knitting has be thinking of my grandmother, who grew up in Ireland and if not in the kitchen cooking was in her mission oak rocking chair knitting mitts, scarfs and hats for her 54 grandchildren. talk about endless knitting. I love the history of cable knitting and have been enjoying this book

Aran  Knitting

i have also been hooked, (addicted) to sewing up these fun clothesline baskets. So meditative for me, (finished in a couple of hours), and when finished, i have an amazing yarn basket…..what more could i ask for in a project.

thanks ginny for yarn along

A SPRING SUNDAY

so what are these people looking at from across the street and why is Caitlin zoo HAPPY?

and what is Erin walking toward?

why, the new pergola they built for Caitlin’s- Me Oh My Pie and Coffee of course.

and yes it rained all day….

but it was a big success and fun had by all, (although one Dad was sore the following day, but so happy to spend the day with his girls. He is a very proud  Dad of his children…as is Mom)!

Caitlin cooked up a HUGE meal of crawdads (crayfish)  she order up from Louisiana.

and later that evening, the sun came out with a special appearence of the rainbow.

other than pergola’s being crafted, I have been busy sewing baskets and quilts. I’m cutting oh so many 2.5 inch squares for a scrap quilt and this honey is taking me down memory lane…..so joyful!

I have set aside my bubble gum pink quilt for a wee weekend and the pups felt I had given it to them,

no, oh no my sweets! i do love that all breathing creatures , no matter 2 legs or 4 legs enjoy my quilts. heart swelling!

the garden is getting into full swing, Eric has cleaned winter out, turned the compost pile on the garden and I have already planted some cool weather plants. OK, I have also planted pots with some flowers a bit early for our weather here on the front range, but…I couldn’t wait another day for some soon to be color.