Starting and Stopping

Yes, we all do that, but I'm talking about knitting projects.  


Starting: I <3 starting projects.  That's why I have several on needles, including two "almost" finished socks that don't match.  I was so excited to get started on a dress for Juju that I started.....two.  Yep.  One because it's going to be a challenge, and I was afraid I would need some Scandinavian help with the instructions in Danish, and when it seemed OK, AND I realized it had beautiful long sleeves, and we are approaching Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, ....  Well, it just seemed the wrong thing to work on for now.


I started a second dress for a one year old.  It's the Picot Dress by Debbie Bliss using the same cotton/silk yarn from the Lace Tunic.

 I'm celebrating:  I'm finished after 39 days, and a few other things, and ready to pack my suitcase.  The amazing Kindle arrived today within 48 hours of calling Apple to replace the broken one.

Hmmm.  The colors in these two pictures should be identical... in real life it's somewhere between the two.  Silky!!  (Click to enlarge!)  It will be modeled: Later Gators!

Another News Flash from Norway:

After all of my lovely thoughts about Norway and the 17th... please read the reality blog at:
Jujubebaby for May 18th.  If you've seen my pictures of my granddaughter before, you'll really laugh at this one... (well, C didn't laugh)

Next?

Last year I found a pattern while in Norway called Rose Cardigan for newborn to toddler sizes.  C and I went shopping for the yarn, and buttons, and I went happily back home to complete it.  Once I was home, I realized that the roses were duplicate stitched, and the whole booklet was in Danish. Never mind; I still was able to figure it out. It was stunning!  And I knitted it up. 

 On the same page in the booklet is a dress with roses on it, and with the fussiest gorgeous borders in crazy colors... just awesome, but the smallest size is 1 year. Here it is: A year later, and the Danish really is a problem.  I studied it, wrote out rows, and I think I made sense of it.  It's not easy to describe in Ravelry, but here's what I have so far:

Can you tell there are 6 colors?

17. Mai 2010 - Special Edition

I couldn't resist posting this, especially since we have most of the day left.  Taken earlier today in Norway at a school yard on the island of Karmøy. Pictured in traditional "bunad" are Aud, Celina, and Julia Aud.  And best yet:  The sun is shining. (That's typically the biggest concern of the day: No rain for the morning parade.)

Birding

Since I've been around for 60+ years, it shouldn't be surprising to say:  "I've done that!" But others are surprised... and I'm surprised at their reaction. It's called living and curiosity.  


I find that now I've returned to many things. It's not like learning something entirely new, but more like picking up where I left off.  

One of those things is "birding". I've never been an expert or hardly an amateur; I enjoy looking at birds, identifying them, and most of all, listening to them.  I don't enjoy catching them in the house after a cat has brought them in for show and tell.  I especially don't like to return home to find my closet full of feathers, even when there's no tell-tale body.


Yesterday was the perfect day:  I sat inside as long as I could, with the sun shining, and air calm, the birds tweeting, and so much to do outside, yet... knitting was calling.  Or more accurately, my hub was calling.  He doesn't often ask for help, but there's this 1/4 ton bird bath that needed to be moved and assembled. And it takes two.  I was happy to have an excuse.  I had already soaked my last piece of the lace tunic and blocked it.  I had already given attention to a pattern that had me running scared, yet I cast on in spite of the danger ahead.  Outside I went, and what a glorious day.  The birds rewarded my venture by showing up whenever the cats took a break, and I realized I haven't sat and admired them in a long time.


Here's what I saw:

The most common of birds around here: House Finch.  This is a great photo that I must say I didn't take nor anyone I know.  I found it at this website, and rather than risk copyright fines, I refer you to these beautiful images.  At this site, you'll see the following birds that I have seen in the past few hours. (Of course, I had to look up most of them in my bird book.)
Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, Mourning Dove, American Robin, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Black-Headed Grosbeak, House Sparrow, and Mountain Chickadee.
In addition, today I saw an Indigo Bunting which was quite surprising, 

and a pair of orioles.  I heard a Meadow Lark, but never caught a glimpse (they are so very loud, and make you think they are nearby).
Yesterday, we tried to rescue a Western Tanager from lovely kitty (Bonnie).  Hub put it over the fence in the field while I corralled the cats in the house for a few minutes.  It wasn't there later in the day, so we are optimistic.

Such is the way of the backyard.  We are very lucky to have ponies, cattle, pheasants and alfalfa in our extended backyard. 


Gratulere med Dagen, Norge!

A piece a day!

That's what it feels like:  One piece of the tunic everyday.  Four pieces (front, back, 2 sleeves) and I'm blocking #3 today along with knitting like a maniac to finish #4 for tomorrow's blocking session.
I'm putting my new lace wires (rods) and blocking mat to good use:

I'll explain: It's a sleeve with the shoulder in the upper left corner. It's all-in-one: left yoke, sleeve and side (which will connect the front and back).  


What really makes me celebrate is that I received a belated Mother's Day gift from Chopped Tomatoes.  My daughter selected the yummiest of lace yarn (100% Mongolian cashmere) in her favorite color! :-)

Hmm.  What can I make with 1420 m of laceweight?  See you later!

Hands

What incredible instruments we carry around:  Hands!!
Fingers, especially... what they do for us.
And what we use them for--mine are pretty well trained to knit, sew, play keyboard music, and... a multitude of other things.


I most noticed my grandmother's hands.  She would proudly hold them up to display how her fingers would point off in different directions--around corners even!  They were an amazing mess, but they produced the best fried walleye, autobiographical stories in her scrawling handwriting, quilting, sewing, knitting, crochet, paintings, cakes, breads, ROLLS (who could forget her rolls?), and...and... the best advice, compassion.  She couldn't surprise me with new projects; that was to be expected. But often she would make, what I consider, progressive-thinking comments about events, people's actions, etc that were totally the opposite of what one would expect from a woman in her 80's or 90's. She was always open to new things.


Yet I most remember her hands... I see them everyday now in my hands!  How surprised she would be to realize that my hands are becoming like hers.  Not only in shape but also by what they produce.  It's as if I can't type fast enough, or knit fast enough, or ... it's our productivity.


Here's a glimpse of my grandmother's hands: (Mine)

And Hers, 26 years ago: