Ham and Beans

Just put ham and bean on to slow cook in the oven.  If I didn't have to work, I could do so much with my time and energy.  Retirement...I await you with bated breath.

As if I something else on which to spend my time, the offspring turned me on to Pinterest over the holidays.  While I think it is an interesting site on which to save ideas for future reference, I find the dichotomy of dessert recipes, and the commitment to healthier lifestyles and exercise programs very concerning.  What are these young women wanting?  Organized lives, with soft sugar cookies, and skinny jeans...I think, anyway!

My boards?  A camera poster, a knitting comic strip, and a wooden spool wreath...and candles made with Epsom salts.  Yep, an old lady's pinterest.  (I am beckyperryirons, by the by..)

In other news, I have spent approximately six weeks now learning my new smarty pants phone. I upgraded to a Droid shortly before Thanksgiving...or maybe shortly after.  Who knows...Christmas has happened since, but I digress.  I am loving being able to play Scrabble at work!  You know...on my lunch hour!  I have found that Amazon offers a free app/day.  Lately they have mostly been games, but I have scored a couple of good other types, like a doc app, and an organizer one.  Good news is that it hasn't beaten me.  Downside is I have had to learn something new...again...and there is still more to master and keep track of and integrate.

Life is tough in the modern world.

One more day off, before the work a day world returns.

One More Time

Happy New Year, and time for new starts and re-starts and start overs...
And here I am in all my starting over glory.  So where do I start?  I believe I will just begin again where I am at.

I have a new header up there.  I received a new wide-angle lens for Christmas and am learning all the ins and outs of fun landscape photography.  I swear I can capture all the mountains from New Mexico to Wyoming!  The Guy and I will have to travel to all the places we have already been to so I can take new and better and wider photos.

I made yarn today.  Well, not just today.  I actually finished it up today, setting the twist, and took photos, too, which really has to be some sort of record.  While I was piddling around the house, taking down Christmas decor (yes, I am on top of all sorts of things here) I noticed the sun shining on the drying hanks of yarn, and saw the opportunity for some photo art.

Behold.

Blue Yarn (top from Tracy Bunkers, merino/bamboo/nylon, 422 yds, 22 wpi)

and Pink Yarn (top from Lampspun, merino/bamboo/glitz, 237 yds, 12 wpi)

The blue I am very proud of.  4 oz of top spun fine enough for socks, I do believe.  Sweet.

In other news, I knit like a crazy woman for Christmas, finishing up felting the last bag on Christmas morning.  So it was a little damp...but I will save that for another post.

I wouldn't want to over do it.

Shooting the Moon

Just so happened that I ended up with my camera when the moon was there.

We had gone to Estes to eat with my BFF from Kindergarten! who was visiting from my hometown, and as we were saying good-by, there was the Old Man in the Moon!

The rest I took while on our September vacation in Zion or Bryce.  Seemed like every morning, against a blue sky, there he was again. (Clicky for biggy...)

The above...in order...Kolob Canyon, Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon.

An Auspicious Occasion

Dearest Sister and Car Guy spent the night at Chez Iron Needles on their way back to Desert Crazy Town last month.  I was so glad to see her, and, as it happened, I had just finished cutting out the 3” squares that are to be the 9-patches for Grandbebe Four’s quilt.

She and I spent part of our all too brief time together matching up squares to make awesome 9-patches. The grandbebe quilts (See One, Two, & Three here) are a team effort, but happens states apart.  It is doubly extra special, with chocolate syrup and whipped cream, when the effort can happen in the same room.  Plus!  We are more creatively, I believe, than the sum of our parts…and we have more fun together than we do with others.

That much is certain.

As it also happened, I had ordered a walking foot for my most awesome Singing Singer, the Rocketeer, which for the uninformed, will enabled me to quilt with my sewing machine.

(Not that I will quilt the grandbebe quilt this way. Oh NO! A standard has been set and will be adhered to.  Grandbebe quilts are quilted by hand…with love in each and every stitch.  As it should be…taking months and months and months…of love!)

Back to the walking foot….Sister has one for her Featherweight, and seeing hers is what inspired me to find one for the Rocketeer.  I will be able to quilt smaller projects much faster and easier with it.  Anyway.  It showed up the same day Dearest Sister did.  We were able to break it in together.  Outstanding! with a side of awesome!

And…I did not realize that Dearest Sister had not been to our humble abode since the creation of my craftudio, my she-cave, my space-station.

She loved it.  I knew she would.  She wants one of her own.

Now...the next quilt is calling.  And I need a real project to test that walking foot on.

Miles (and miles) of Yarn

At Guild last month, it was announced that a member who previously owned a yarn store was selling what remained of her stock.

For an exceedingly good price.  So exceedingly good, I would say…it was almost free.  ALMOST FREE! for pete’s sake.

So I went.  And my stash grew by miles.

I know this because I have my yarn supply listed in spreadsheet format for easy tracking, and it is easily calculated into miles…or kilometers…or fathoms…

Yarn Garage Sale Lady #2 told me she was going to be selling her books in a few weeks and would email me.

She did.  I bought books…and more yarn.  More miles of yarn.

This enabler told me she was going to bringing out magazines in a few weeks, and she also informed me when this event occurred.

I went, and bought magazines…and buttons…and more yarn.

It was almost free.  I had to.

Such a heady experience it was. I got the best yarn ever.

I would show it off, but that would only cause grief and envy!