what was once lost is now found

I think I should also subtitle this entry as "WIP's and FO's too long ignored". Part of this afternoon was spent, once again, working on furthering the organizing of the crafting/genealogy space. I continue to be amazed by the stitching projects that I'm finding that had been placed into storage quite too long ago.

The following photographs are only some of the items that I'd come across in my efforts today. There remains a considerable amount of work yet to be done, especially in the area of sorting through all the accumulated/saved papers related to various projects, and matching those to each item.

The comforter in the photograph below is one that I'd started quite sometime ago, as to when; I really cannot say as it was during the period that I wasn't journaling my experiences.



The yarns used for this comforter are Dawn Sayelle from Caron, an 100% acrylic of worsted weight. As to the colours in the comforter, I fear I may no longer have the skein wrappers that would provide that information. I know that I'd stopped on this piece due to not having purchased sufficient amounts of the gold yarn to complete it, and had been unable to locate or acquire additional skeins at that time. The comforter is being worked in crochet using hook size 4.5mm (US G/6). I'm confident that a rummage through the container of partial skeins will net a few of the other colours. I'll complete this piece with the remaining rows of what looks to be the colour Autumn, followed by two rows of a Deep Forest Green. Though my initial intent was to crochet this much larger, I'll finish it to a size of approximately 72 inches in length by 40 inches in width.

To coordinate with the comforter, I'd been stitching a needlepoint pillow from Candamar Designs titled Daisies & Poppies. The pillow top is worked on 14 mesh 100% cotton canvas using 100% cotton floss.



The finished size of the Daisies and Poppies Pillow will be 14"x14".

Another needlepoint pillow top in the works is the Iris Paradise designed by Barbara Baatz from the Kooler Design Studios, Inc, and was purchased as a kit from Bucilla. It is being stitched on 12 mesh canvas using Persian wool.



All that remains to be done with the Iris Paradise Pillow is to purchase the fabric for the back, and to sew it together. The finished size of this pillow will be 14"x14".

The following piece I've not as of yet located the associated papers, and I cannot provide the exact title to the piece. It is, however, a kit from Candamar Designs. I'm rather fond of Sunflowers and this item held me spell bound, that is, until I needed to acquire additional floss to complete the gold stitchwork. Sunflowers is being worked on a mesh canvas using 100% cotton floss.



The finished size of the Sunflowers Pillow will be approximately 14"x14". I hadn't planned this piece to be a coordinate with a comforter, but, I'm thinking it may match well with the comforter in the first photograph above.

The following three projects are counted cross stitch pieces. Here too, I've not as yet found the papers for two of the items.



The above Iris pattern was from a booklet, and was completed in 2001.

Below is Calla Lillies designed by Karen Marie Zabroski, and is from Dimensions. It was worked on 14 count Aida cloth using 100% cotton floss.



The stitching aspect of Calla Lillies is done, all that remains is to have it matted and framed.

Humming Bird and Hibiscus is another piece that I've not located the papers for as of yet. It is a counted cross stitch on 14 count black Aida cloth using 100% cotton floss.



Here, too, all that remains to complete this piece is to have it matted and framed.

These are a part of the treasures that I've found thus far today. Updates on the unfinished items will be forth coming as they're completed.

I guess I'll be quite busy during the coming months.

a tranquil afternoon...

... of listening to MPR, and furthering the knitting of the Aran Raglan sweater was just what I'd been hoping it would be. Listening to the program "Wait, Wait...Don't tell me" did require moments of setting the knitting down until my composure from all the chuckling and laughing could be restored. Today's broadcast had me in stitches (yup, pun intended).

Currently, I'm four rows away from performing the bind offs for the sleeves.



Earlier I'd laid the completed back panel along side the partially knitted front panel, and am pleased with the progress, and that I'd not erred yet with the knit and purls, the directions of each cable, and have been maintaining a reasonably even tension.

return to the Blue Hills

My initial plans for a four day weekend, to be spent with my youngest brother and his family, required modification due to unforeseen issues that had arisen on my end. But, when a call for volunteers, from within the family, to dedicate a day of labour (Saturday) at my parents' home had arrived the week prior, I was determined to salvage a part of my weekend off and to spend it with family and in the area of my youth; the Blue Hills of Wisconsin.

I've always enjoyed the drive to my hometown, especially after I've left behind the overcrowded freeways of the Twin Cities. The drive along Highway 36 to Stillwater is a bit fast paced, but, quickly leads to the by-pass route towards Highway 95 that meanders northward to Highway 8 which is comfortably traveled upon far into Northwestern Wisconsin. Along this route it's very scenic and is a relaxing drive through the countryside and quaint towns along the way.

Accompanying me on this trip was my camera, but, I was running late and decided not to stop and photograph some of the points along the route that I'd long enjoyed for over the years. The wish and need to be with family was strong within me, and I wasn't going to delay fulfilling iether.

Nostalgia took hold as I approached the exit to the freeway off of Highway 8 northward to my hometown. It would have been a quick drive to arrive at my destination. I choose, however, to continue on along the westward route, eventually arriving at the old highway upon which we had travel many times on family trips. As I drove northward, I patiently awaited my arrival upon the top of a hill that provides a gorgeous view overlooking my hometown and the Blue Hills in which it is nestled. I stopped at the location to once again take in the view, and allowed the flood of memories to take hold.



The panoramic view from this vantage point is breathtaking, though, admittedly photographs seldom do it justice.

Being in the company of family made our endeavors enjoyable beyond words. We succeeded in accomplishing all the tasks on the list that my sister had prepared, and then some. There was a lot of visiting as we worked, and a few breaks here and there to share a meal (actually two) and to visit as a group. The day passed quickly, despite our having spent nearly twelve hours diligently tending to the needed chores.

I'd not wanted to surrender to the hour when I'd be returning to the Twin Cities, but, it couldn't be delayed further. I'd arrived at my home shortly after the sun had set, filled with joy of being with family, and looking forward when we would next be together.

saga of the Ash

As of today, we've yet to hear word from the DNR concerning the Ash Tree in the front yard. We're patiently awaiting their diagnosis of it's condition, and whether it has been under siege by the Emerald Ash Boarer.

Over the past few days, I'd noticed that there were individual and clusters of withering leaves on the walkway and the sod beneath the tree. Oddly the leaves weren't all about the grounds beneath the tree, but, were located primarily near the front stoop. This was perplexing indeed...



...until a glance upward revealed the source of the falling leaves. Way up there among the branches...



...a squirrel's nest had been built, and the occupant was busily sorting through her collection of materials, discarding those that just wouldn't suit the construction.



Apparently, she isn't aware of the impending fate of the Ash Tree. With winter sufficiently distant at this time, I suspect that there will be a family of squirrels taking up residence among the branches. My hope is that the eventual removal of the tree does not occur until after the youngsters have left the nest, which I suspect may be the case, as the DNR is perhaps quite overwhelmed with the situation caused by the invading Ash Boarer.

a scarf, a sweater, and a craft area

Update on the crafting/genealogy space: well, it's coming along, sorta. It's taking me longer than anticipated to rummage through all those containers and to organize them into a fashion that will make them easily accessible along with indexing and cataloguing the contents. I have, however, managed to clear space for the table, chair, pie cabinet, and side cabinet that will eventually hold the computer system, and the accessories such as ink and paper, along with an assortment of crafting tools. Admittedly, I digressed from the task a wee bit upon delving into the containers of yarns with the intent of sorting completely through them, and selecting which yarns to keep and those to give away, along with attempting to determine which of those pesky WIP's that have continued to haunt me, and deciding which I'll complete from those that will be frogged and knitted into something different.



I'm please to share that I've gotten through a goodly portion of the containers of yarn, and have found quite a quantity that was decided I'd be willing to part with. After having sent an email to members of my family listing the yarns and number of skeins with an inquiry if any of them would be interested in taking the yarns, I was delighted to receive a reply from one of my sisters stating that she'd like to have them. All that remains now is to deliver them. This will open more space, as those containers are being stored in the area behind where I'd taken the above photograph.

In the course of reviewing the yarns, and taking a moment here and there to fondle the fibre - I couldn't help myself! honest! - I came upon a finger weight yarn that I'd nearly forgotten that I have, and immediately delivered the two skeins to the basket of current projects on the main floor of the house next to the rockingchair.



It is a delicious soft multicolour yarn from Mountain Colors. They've titled the colour Glacier Teal, and it's a gorgeous combination of deep rich tones of teal, black, rust, bleu, and brown (unfortunately the photograph above doesn't do justice to the true colours). I'd had a debate running through my mind as to whether to knit it into a pair of socks or a scarf. The scarf won, as I wanted this to be something that can be seen easily when worn, also, I tend to wear holes into socks quite quickly and just couldn't force myself to render this yarn to such a fate. For this item, which will accompany me to the job as my travel project, I'm knitting it on 2.75mm (US 2) needles in a simple two by two rib pattern.

Progress on the Aran Raglan Sweater is coming along nicely, although, I'd needed to set it aside during those dreadfully hot/humid days last week. The sweater back is completed...



...but not without having made a few errors that will not be corrected, given that I'd not noticed them until I'd reached the point of placing the neck stitches onto a holder. I submit for your review the photograph below noting the oops locations.



I'm of the mindset that the only folks who will notice the flaws are fellow knitters, and those with whom I share the information, and hopefully they will be forgiving of my not correcting the issue. These errors, for me, are insignificant enough to be acceptable, and since I'm knitting this sweater for myself, any urges to correct the issues can be easily subdued. If I were knitting it for someone else, they just wouldn't do, and I'd be in the process of frogging back to the locations and fixing the stitches. The front panel for this sweater has been cast on, the ribbing completed and am now four inches along in the cabling segment. I continue to enjoy working on this project, and am pleased with the progress achieved thus far.

Despite being neglected...

...the gartens have wonderfully continued to thrive.

At present there aren't many plants in bloom, but, the gartens had been planted with the intent of having various plants showing their colours at differing times during the warmer months and sporadic locations within the gartens...



...two Lilies are showing off their hot colours of orange and yellow. They are along one of the sides of the gazebo and at opposite ends of that wall...



...the Sweet William continues to display it's deliciously gentle pink clusters...



...and much to my surprise...



...the Hydrangea is producing a bloom cluster.

Pride 2009

This past weekend was the 37th celebration of the annual event of the Twin Cities' Gay Pride, held the last weekend in June. commemorating the Stonewall Inn riots of 1969. The TC's Pride celebration is listed as being the third largest in the nation, and this year it is estimated that well over 125,000 people were in attendance for Sunday's events.

Saturday afternoon my roommate, two of our friends, and I attended the activities in Loring Park. There was so much to see, long time friends to visit with, and for myself the return of fond memories of my first pride rally and march in the year of 1973 in which I'd participated.



Following our afternoon in the Park, we'd wandered over to the 19 Bar (a pub that I'd frequented in my early years of living in the area) for our traditional toast in memory of friends no longer with us.

Sunday the annual Pride Parade was a joy to witness. Prior to the Parade, a ceremony was held in front of the Saloon to introduce the new Rainbow Flag, bearing eight stripes.



Our original location to watch the Parade was, to say the least, miserable. Far too many people all around us, and those seated in front of us were, shall we say, inconsiderate. Thus, I missed a goodly portion of the Parade Participants and in seeing this year's grand marshall Gilbert Baker, who designed the original Rainbow Flag in 1978.

Disappointed with our vantage point, I left the group and strolled along Hennepin Avenue with the intent to return home. I stopped long enough to photograph the entry for Quatrefoil Library, and to see a few more of the Parade participants marching along.



My roommate accompanied by a few of his friends caught up with me and we decided to return to a location where we usually watched the Parade in years past, across from the Gay 90's. My mood and enjoyment of the feastivities had greatly improved upon arriving at our traditional location and settling in with more friends to visit with and to watch the Parade.

I'm at this point uncertain of who Don Samuels is, but with his bid for city council to represent the Northside, I'm sure there's plenty of information available. It's encouraging and heartwarming to see so many of the politicians and citizens from around the TC's and the state participating in the Parade. I wonder if there was an intential message that Mr. Samuels was attempting to convey by riding in a Smart Car. Whether there was or not, it was wonderful to have the Northside represented.




We found the entry from 3M quite a delight, with the vehicle having been covered in multiple colours of post-it notes. It was equally thrilling to meet and shake hands with Mark Dayton.



Some years ago, I'd had attended a performance of the musical of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at a theatre in downtown Minneapolis. It was on tour and Donny Osmond was playing the lead character, but, his understudy did the part the night that we attended and performed wonderfully. This year the production is being performed at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. It's a delightful show and one that I recommend is well worth seeing. I do admit that I don't know who the performers are, but, that information can be found on the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre website along with quite a bit of information pertaining to the production and the theatre.



Following the Joseph vehicle was Karen Clark, whom I've admired for quite sometime. She has been and hopefully will continue to be a strong voice for the LGBT community.

I've not yet been to the pub Tickles, but, according to my roommate and his pals, it is a very nice place, and one that they say I would enjoy (given that I'm not particularly fond of the larger clubs and prefer a place where one can actually socialize without having to shout over the music).



The Parade continued on beyond the point of my photographs, but, alas, my camera batteries had reached the point of being empty, darn it!!!