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It needs some reshaping and it needs the right button/flower or something on the bottom right. That's the plan. I had to wash it 4 times in my front loader to get it felted to my liking. (environmentalists don't come after me...I washed different jeans with it each time. I didn't use a car to shop for a purse so I saved on pollution that way too..) I'm reading Brene Brown's book I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME. She talks about growing up in a culture of shame. Fascinating reading. I have always known my family reared me with shame consequences. Reading the book is a workshop in trying to undo the shame damage. It is so good to read that you are not alone. Off to the Farmers market before Pre sleep for the workend. I hope to buy a baked treat for my fellow night shift workers. Too hot for me to bake anything myself..... Did you grow up hearing SHAME ON YOU? (all commments get you entered in my drawing sunday night midnight....every comment gets a new en...

DONT FORGET TO ENTER MY CONTEST BY LEAVING ANY COMMENT BETWEEN NOW AND JULY 31 MIDNIGHT. I"ll BE UP Then.. As Franklin Habit proposed, I went out looking for photography opportunities in my own neighborhood the other day. Nevermind it was a thousand and two degrees....I walked very slowly. Good thing, too, because I may not have noticed this fledgling on a neighbors statue. He seemed perched there for help. Birds in flight around me freak me out.....beyond belief. My sister had a parakeet that she let out to enjoy the house....when he flew by me I'd go into a pose whereby my shoulders actually touched my ear lobes. I would close my eyes and try like hell to say I was fine with Jefferson, said bird, being out when I was there.... In nursing school I had a community health assignment to bathe a woman with narcolepsy who lived in a tiny apartment in Uptown. She had an enormous bird too. Oh how I worried each time I went to visit. I asked her to put it away when I c...

I realize this is quite possibly the least pretty thing I've ever posted, but I have faith, oh such faith, that it will felt phenomenally. I tell you something: my hands and fingers hurt from the wool and wooden needles. It was not better with addi turbos...either. Whine whine whine... all for a great finish. I have great luck with felting...and I am not afraid to say it. You must ask for what you want to come to you. I'm nuts, yes, but I still believe it. I'd like the bag to to be pouchy...you know? Any ideas on this for me before I cast off and sew the sides of the bag together??? I'd like it to be an easy answer....okay? That's what I want to come to me...easy answers... Then I am going back to my light as a firefly lace stole in water colors...... I think I'll have a contest too. Since I am going to the post office on Monday anyhow... SO leave a comment...any comment.. and you are in the drawing. (scrabblequeen sorry for the rambling co...

*Looking out (caption) *Tornado Watch *Jicama Salsa *Bubble gum *Unfinished felting *Cubs Lose *Blooming zinnias *Fire flys *Smuckers Lemonade *Your turn *

for followers who find fine freedom in felting: This will be a bag. It is two parts nashaua and one part wooly gift. Created with big old needles from the Take and Replace Swap. Felting hides a multitude of sins...... and stitch errors.... *handeyecrafts@wordpress.com has started the annual Knitter's Hunk nominations. I've nominated David Beckham, Erik Spoelstra, and Rob Lowe. Who is Erik Spoelstra? Well he is the super hunky coach of the Miami Heat. Go on over and nominate someone. Who would you love to knit next to?

Knitting with Wool continues...... here are some questions for you that I pondered yesterday while knitting: Do you like percolator coffee? Electirc? Prefer it to brewed? To french press?? Do you feed your cat/dog a no wheat/corn formula? Do you feed the birds in the summer? What is best? Would you rather have a candy bar or an ice cream candy bar? Do you have a ipod speaker? What kind? Do you print your pictures anymore? What service do you use? Favorite etsy site? Mail order food?? Any thoughts my friends???

something about severe ungodly life threatening heat makes me want to knit with wool. Perhaps it is the heat getting to my head, perhaps it is the need to suffer, perhaps it is the joy of not having cold fingers...whatever it is I've cast on. Nashua Wool stripes for a purse/bag from Knitty Gritty Knits. Outside it is a gully washer.. .....daytime thunder and flicks of lightening....sure ingredients for steam heat to follow....Someone heard a transformer blow last night in another block of town. Please Lord, not us this time.... The weekend has endless entertainment possiblities in my town. Civil War Days reenacting going on at the Grove.. Endlessly fascinating to me. Fireman is in a charity golf tourney..... Farmers Markets and garage sales...... and the Workend for me. Presleep and no sleep followed by deep REM sleep. All could be curtailed by 90 plus heat and humidity....looks like we are all pretty much in the same boat....so move over.....I'm knitting with...

"Whatever July and August boil, September cannot fry" (oh thank God) "Cake happens" "This IS your sign from God." "Ain't nothin' a good nap won't fix" "Knitting lace is just crocheting with two hands." "If the sock won't fit, felt it" "If Mama aint happy aint nobody happy" "En boca cerrada no entran moscas" (flies don't enter a closed mouth) "If you can't stand the heat get out of Chicago" "Potato chips are God's way of perfecting the sandwich" "The difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is about 3 days" and other good news: Pippa the momma cat is Feline Leuk negative. this bodes well for odd little Beatles......that is one less thing he can have wrong with him.

The Fast Florida Footies are finished....phew... Speaking of fast, anyone know how I can lose about 20 lbs in the next few hours? I volunteered to be part of an educational video at work... If the camera adds 10 pounds, then oh dear...... I plan to : Have good hair and makeup and hope the lighting is dim .... perhaps I can ask the producer for a scene edit..... What color lipstick goes best with Fat? Any help is appreciated. I'm just joking you know. I do have some weight to lose and am started on the journey... that's what we call it now right? A journey...not a DIET. Why do all the good things have to be bad for you? I love salted nuts...... clearly giving up the potato chip thing until Mid August was not enough to offset the Door County temptations. I sincerely tried to drink Diet pepsi last night and nearly aspirated from the choking that ensued..... I've even found a way to knit and eat messy things at the same time... did you know you can ...

The Sea Wool Florida Footies ...... I love this wool. I am certainly going to buy some. Katherine, thanks for a fanstastic gift. This wool is a dream to knit with......I give it 4 double points. The New Marilyn Monroe statue in Chicago.......I give it one double point. I can't knock artists for trying. I won't give it the Hook, the crochet hook that is, because art is in the eye of the beholder. It certainly has gotten everyone's attention and whenever art does that, it succeeds on some level.... Elavil for Rosalyn. Yes, Rozzy is officially on an antianxiety for cats. Poor dear thing. She hasn't been calm since we were away on vacation. She's been miserable, vomiting, crying, wandering the house.....Today she went to our wonderful Vet Kristine Preiser. She is napping now, and calm for the first time.......in too long. I give it 4 double points. Red Sock Yarns, Top of the Hill Shops, Fish Creek WI, Door County. 4 double points hands down.....kneedl...

No that is not my child jumping into the water cave at Cave Point State Park in Door County. I remember seeing kids do this ten years ago. ....wondered if they still jumped in on a hot day....they DO! Sometimes I get lucky with my camera......for once the delay worked in my favor! Stay cool . Keep knitting...jump in

No that is not my child jumping into the water cave at Cave Point State Park in Door County. I remember seeing kids do this ten years ago. ....wondered if they still jumped in on a hot day....they DO! Sometimes I get lucky with my camera......for once the delay worked in my favor! Stay cool . Keep knitting...jump in

Home. I love to come home. Every single vacation. I love to come home. Loved this dog enjoying the windows rolled down.....as we drove by the owner did pull him in! Nearly finished with Fast Florida Footies Off to the workend. What is your COOLEST Tip for the heat that is headed so many of our ways Heat expected. Heat brings babies...all the time.....we will be busy.. Oh, and the kittens are amazing and growing and wonderful. Beatles persists!

(this image is from paddlingabout.com) What has been a very good week got a little messy this morning. It seems when I leave my world of knitting and porch sitting and take risks, I do it with tension. My knitting world is so very under my control. If I like it and it looks good, I keep knitting it. If it gets messy I frog it. There is no frogging when you are in a kayak and the waves start up. There was only imagined danger when I look back upon it. I never capsized, the water was cold but ridiculously shallow and my insistence upon staying immediately astride the shore was what got me stuck to begin with. The worst of the story is that I yelled and I swore and an entire shoreline could have heard me. Fireman who is the best of friends in the worst of times, kept his unshakeable cool. He was smart enough not to say much. "Lets' go back" he agreed as we maneuvered directions and acknowledged our predicament. So we did. I was drenched and paddling more la...

Radar is a master of sleep. Perhaps because he is deaf, he is a sound and sincere sleeper. I often have to blow on him with my coffee breath, to awaken him gently. When we first got him from the shelter he would spook something fierce when startled awake. Now, even when I try to wake him with my coffee breath, he is so trusting and at ease, he barely opens his eyes... unless he's hungry and I've been out of the house for a bit. The Hufffington Post recently ran an article about a sleep study. Seems men who were rocked while they slept in a hammock, slept more soundly and had more effecient sleep than those unrocked. I have spent a career rocking babies. If you are struggling with sleep here are some things I do to sleep better...... *keep the room cool to cold *dont' watch the news right before bed *wear great pajamas *make a list of what is on your mind before you dress for bed (Try It. Just writing it down, lets your mind forget it a bit) *Rock a bit befo...

I am in the land of cherries and fish boils and sunsets. The Mecca of the Midwest: Door County. I neglected to bring my adaptor to download images from my computer so I grabbed this image from Yahoo Images. Folks up here cook whitefish in a kettle and then throw Kerosene on the fire to get it to boil over in dramatic and hot fashion. I'm not a fan of the meal. But I am a fan of just about everything else Door County Offers. Have you been here? I'll be you loved it. I'm knitting Colorjoy's Fast Florida Footies and I love the pattern. So well written and a fast knit indeed. I am finishing footie number one this morning. I may actually create a pair of socks again...... Off to find some quieter inland water and Kayak a bit. More later after some.... cherry pie...

Sweet Tea is a sweet as she looks. All of the 6 Pippa kittens continue to thrive and be adored. Knit Notes: *We are storming again here in Chicago land... the power went out so briefly this morning.....just enough to scare the bee jeebers out of me.. I dont want to lose power again for 3 days. Just not today please. IT is horridly hot and humid out. Ahhh, but things could be so much worse...I was pretty darn Amish for a few days last month You'd think I would have stocked up on candles and batteries...but no. Too busy having fun in the summer sun to be responsible. *So what did I do on my rare weekend off? WEll I must have said I appreciated it about a thousand times all weekend. I would sigh and say, "ahhhhhh, I dont have to go to work today.....ahhhhh, I don't have to presleep." For those of you in the 9-5 world, presleeping is of course, just like preheating an oven. You presleep to get ready to work through the night. I'm a big Saturday afte...

and it doesn't itch one bit.

Farmer's Market Images for today's post. I'd like a Yarn colorway in Blue Cheese. I love those colors. *I hit my 8000th comment yesterday. Katherine of Comfortzone, and long time pretend friend, was the lucky person. She wins a prize from an Etsy site that I picked just for her. It is a surprise so I won't say what it is just yet.. *I'm on the last skein of pink/coral suede. It is lovely. I don't know how to FINISH it off though. Fireman says fringe would overwhelm it's delicate look. Any ideas? It needs something to finish the edging.... *The kittens are uber adorable. Little Beatles is still oddly small, but is right there with his pride and very much a member of the team. *Porch weather is outstanding. I am off this weekend from work. If I do nothing other than sleep tonight at a normal hour, it will be relished as vacation. It already is. *I bought gluten free potatochip pretzel cookies today at the farmer's market... does ...

Fireman is rereading Metal Cowboy. I have started Modoc the Elephant Story. I have not even opened Shangai Girls yet. As for Easy knits.....they do appear super easy. I will be picking a pattern from the book and knitting it up. Just not sure which one yet..... I was a writing major before I switched gears to Nursing Education. I am a fussy picky reader. If the writing isn't really good, I dump the book fast.... I'm a book snob. I am so happy to have raised readers and writers. Zach is an exceptional writer and sees the world in a unique light. Al is finally pursuing some writing and she has a knack as well. Al and Zach are avid readers. Fireman is now, too. I would love to write a book someday. I will. I just can't decide what to write about. You are supposed to write about what you know. I know Nursing, but the stories are not to be believed....trust me. I dont envision fiction that is for sure... I am in no hurry. The blog is writing for me nearly ...

Karen is such a great knitter. This is her vest. It is a vine vest from last years Interweave. She is using an ECO yarn. Even great knitters have trouble sometimes with the double instructions. My old, "at the same time" nemesis. Karen will no doubt over come her current issues with the finish. In other news: Pippa is back at the shelter. Relief. You do know that I dressed in my snowpants, boots and gloves to protect myself from her little leg grabs.....in 90 degree weather no less. I thought it was quite creative myself.... now to enjoy the kittens. As if there is any effort to THAT. They are all sweetness and light. Beatles the poor doer, is still incredibly small. Time will tell. Everyone roots for him. Such an undercat...ha ha ha So tell me, how should I celebrate my weekend OFF. Yup. I have this weekend off entirely. Normal sleep and all. Any ideas???

I love the blue she's using. Radar wanted some face time.....his eyes are the color of Al's WIP. Radar thinks kittens are great, in general. He actually likes dogs, cats, kittens, anything....and especially meeses...... I'm still shell crocheting with the pank, as my friend Channon says, suede yarn. I am alternating between that and the water colored lace stole/scarf. Porch knitting is nearing its peak....today's porch forecast is : Warm and breezy with a chance of margaritas...

As I was going to St Ives I met a man with seven wives Each wife had seven sacks Each sack had seven cats Each cat had seven kits Kits, cats, sacks, wives How many were going to St Ives? I sang this to the kittens as I cut their nails... 6 kittens, four paws each, 5 toes on each paw... no bleeders! Tell me you know this song...Fireman swears he has never heard it... he was musically and poetically deprived as a child...

Nicest weather I can recall for a Fourth of July around Chicago. Hot but not too hot. Sunny and not a cloud in the sky. I'm mostly on the porch enjoying all the commotion around me in the neighborhood. Fireman is grilling some burgers shortly...he watched the parade from the Firehouse apron, while I slept at home. Someone actually pulled their car into the firehouse garage and asked if they could park there for the parade..... Do you make your own lemonade from scratch? I did once, and it involved boiling a syrupy mix and it was wonderful. I'll be crocheting until my eyelids get heavy tonight.. Doubt I'll walk down to the fireworks display...Will you knit on the Fourth of July ???? Tomorrow there will be kitten updates......they are uber adorable now....

When I was leaving the Cub game with Donna Boucher on Tuesday I was chatting a mile a minute, not looking where I was going. I ran my noggin straight into a lead pipe railing. Stars, I saw stars..... the Dipper Orion Cher you get it.. I was so fiercely embarassed that my red face matched the red bump on my head. People around me actually said they didnt see me hit my head, but they....HEARD it . ouch. yeah. Donna was worried. She texted me twice. I assured her. I cannot believe I didnt get two black eyes. I do have a lovely big old scab between my irish eyes. Well, the girl got a bump on her head..... and she started crocheting.... yup. What else explains it? I havent' crocheted in years.. the Berocco Suede in coral is now in shells. .