Saturday, May 30, 2015

Blanket weaving

Trying to do the impossible: Create a wedding gift that young things will like/use and have meaning.  So here is the beginning of "Sisterdale".  Sisterdale happens to be the place where the wedding will happen, so when I saw the name, I thought immediately of them.
There are woven panels, which I just finished.  Then they are crocheted together, and given a knitted edging.  The edging will be the boring never-ending part....
Gift in progress.
Today is the day I'm going to cut the panels.  Fingers crossed. I have all morning to do this, and then I have a (totally unrelated) wedding to play this afternoon.  First time I've played a church wedding in years!  Times are changing...

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Red sock


A fun sock, my second time with this pattern, but the tweed... Our knitting group had a laughing attack one night with pictures of knitting with dandruff.  I'm NOT laughing NOW... it looks like I dusted under the bed with this sock, so I'm hesitant to start sock number two.  
I can:
1. Hope that the color bleeds, and the white becomes less white, 
2. Pick the white pieces out (it's only laying on top of the twisted yarn, and would be easy to pull out), or
3. Frog it.  Which would mean I would have to throw it away.
Pattern:
Yarn:
Stroll Tweed, in Barn Door Heather
Fingering / 4 ply
65% Merino, 25% Nylon, 10% Other
231 yards / 50 grams
I love the pattern.  I love the yarn. Don't think I'm panning the yarn, just the color... in fact I used a Tweed previously, and it didn't offend me. And here's another link.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Near Route 66

Yes, Gallup, New Mexico, Route 66, but everyone uses I-40 these days.
Mick and I used to attend the yearly (December) Balloon Rally at Red Rocks, and get snowed in...
This time, we had snow on the ground and in the air on May 16th!  And it was COLD, but people came, and I survived the digital organ software.  (Not a pipe organ.)

The buttons you see in the photo above are on a computer screen.  Those are the stops (touch screen) for the pedals and Swell manual.  There's another computer screen to my right with stops for Great and Choir.  
I believe that it wasn't any more confusing or difficult to use than if there had been physical stops to push or pull.  It just takes time to know what to push, and to check if you've pushed correctly before you begin to play.  
A pretty little church, and friendly people!  The organ was equipped with more than enough sound.  We did our best to fill the space with sound!

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Fear and trepidation!.


a musical post

Ok. Most performers have some sort of fear and trepidation when they get close to performance dates, however, I am definitely calloused by years of performance.  I play every week for church, lately for two churches.  I'm used to recovering from hitches, and often under-prepared.  I accompany at house concerts, and orchestra concerts (just since the beginning of May) without a bat of the eye.
However, to stretch myself with an hour of music, to be performed before a totally new audience... Solos, and accompaniments with my hubby, the trumpet player...Well, it's time for a beta-blocker!  
I'm not ashamed to admit that a little pill is a comfort, whether it really keeps me from shaking or not. I know that the hour(s) just before I seat myself and begin to play are the hardest with which to cope. My mind runs wild, I'm full of insecurities, doubts, and my heart races, my lower digestive tract can act up unpleasantly, and... That little pill makes much of that go away.
What? Should I swig a few beers?  Witnessed that...not for me.
Before the pill, and before regular weekly performances, my legs would shake so I couldn't keep them on the pedals.  That's NEVER good... So, when special events of the challenging type arise, I take a pill within a half hour before, and it all seems to mellow out.
That's how it went down last Sunday.  Not a much publicized concert, and on Mother's Day afternoon, so not a large audience, but they were all happy, and very nice with their comments.
I felt pretty good about it. I had fun, and I was relaxed.  However, something happened that hasn't ever happened to me, and will probably happen again.  A key stuck. Yep, a high screaming A flat continued to sound until it decided to release itself.  It happened twice, and about the time I thought I should do something  about it, it stopped.  Both times the trumpets were playing, and it didn't seem too obvious.  Of course, it caused fear and trepidation for me... And then, it happened while I was playing a solo.  Hubby was sitting next to me, turning pages, and the thought occurred to me, "Why didn't he fix it?"  Later he said he didn't notice, even though I felt compelled to try to smack it back into an "up" position while furiously playing two manuals and pedals.  It didn't work, and just when I entertained the thought that I was going to have to stop playing, apologize, and...well, no plans made after that...it released, and somehow, I avoided that key for the rest of the concert.
My next concert is in two days, on another instrument, and hopefully that will not happen again.  With certainty, something else will arise! Performance=F&T=take a chill pill!

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Tweed or?


Mixed feelings about this yarn... Stroll tweed.  I wish there wasn't so many white bits.  The black and brown and red tweed bits are fine, but the white?  It's going to make my knit buddies laugh, and remember the white pom poms referred to as "dandruff". That's all I see when I look at my sock.
The pattern is Eunice by Cookie A.  Second time for the pattern. The color is Barn Door Heather, which sounds wonderful.  The Barn Door IS nice, but the heather looks like the cotton fluff that will soon be inundating my yard.  Sigh!
Tomorrow I'm picking a few strawberries... Yes, the thunderstorms have come through here every few days, and the strawberries love it!

Happy Spring!

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Can't wait for the model

After many attempts at getting the sizing correct, I'm finally finished with this tunic.  Hopefully in size 6 for a 6 year old.  Replaced the tractors with a row of hearts.  Unblocked.  Since I have to be home to supervise bad cats while blocking, I'll wait until next week when I'll have more home time available.
Meanwhile, one concert down and second one in a few days.  They sure are fun when they are over!!
The Pattern:  GrĂ¥tass is the name of the little tractor.  The little tractor I didn't use...
The Yarn:
DK / 8 ply
100% Merino
130 yards / 50 grams

Monday, May 11, 2015

Neighborly Surprise

Informal lunch the other day, with neighbor who surprised me by bringing her crochet project...
My, or my!  Crochet, and gorgeous tank top, in beautiful stitches, with rosette, and the COLOR!
I had no idea that she was up to this.  And with crochet "thread"...the super fine kind. Amazing...

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