Unexpectedly Inspired

One of the things I do for my job is to order parts, software, licenses, etc. for clients.  The website of a technology distributor is probably one of the least likely places to find yourself inspired, but today I logged in and this is the sight that greeted me:

Wouldn't the box design for this product make a perfectly fabulous quilt block?  I love the colors they have chosen and the pattern they placed the triangles into.  I envision this being a block that you make 12 ish of, smoosh them all together in mixed up orientation and call it a quilt.  Bind it with that deep grape color and be happy.

Who's with me?!?

Crafternoon

 We had a great group for Crafternoon this past weekend with very diverse crafts being represented. 

Maggie and Aly were doing some quilting.  Maggie has a very precise way of pinning pieces of a quilt together to ensure that they don't shift and that the seams you want to line up are in fact aligned.  She taught Aly this pinning method this weekend and as you can see, they're both pleased with the results!

 Keva decided to join the group and keep herself close to the action!  Mom was laughing because she's really the perfect crafting dog.  She's quite content to lay around while everyone crafts.  

 Kim was working on a knit washcloth.  Interestingly enough, she stated what many crafters probably feel.  This wash cloth is taking way too long; if it were a blanket square it would be different....even though it's the same exact work, for some reason it seems more worth it.  She happens to fit quite comfortably in Tyler's chair so she got the squish chair! 

 I worked on spinning some fantastic fiber that I received in a Mad Color Fiber Arts Geek Tour shipment. 

It's based off of an episode of Doctor Who called "Blink" in which there is the most perfect pick up line ever...."Life is short and you are hot."  I swear, if any guy ever tried to pick me up with that line, I'd fall in a heart beat. 

Aren't the colors fantastic?!? 

 Here I am tucked away at my spinning wheel making great progress.

And this is what the singles are looking like.  I'm trying to keep the colors together on the bobbin because it pleases me to see them all lined up in sections.

 Gary got the other squishy chair and was working on knitting the most lovely green shawl. 

When Aly first walked in the door with her sewing machine and sewing supplies I swooned.  She uses this vintage suit case to keep all her project and supplies together in one fantastic kit. 

 Maggie is working on a machine applique block for a quilt for Aunt Lois.  I tell ya!  Machine Applique takes the patience of Job.  It takes For-Ev-Er to get one block done...But the results are stunning!

Like any good Crafternoon, we had food!  There was an egg, potato, cheese casserole, Cheetoes, Oreos, chocolate bundt cake, orange juice and cranberry juice.  Yum!  But the real treat came in the form of poached pears with fudge sauce over top.  I have never had anything poached before, but now I'm a convert!  Gary has great cooking skill and flair so even though I hadn't had poached pears before I knew I'd be thrilled to eat them. 

 He even put together a fantastic presentation!  They say the eye eats first, but I'm pretty sure my taste buds were the real winners here.

Here is the progress I had made by the end of the day on my stripey yarn:

 Not quite as tidy on the color chunks as earlier in the day, but I'm still very happy with how it looks!

Shifting colors!

I have been having SO much fun knitting on this colorful mitered square blanket this past month that I just have to share my progress!



This is the first quarter of a 50 inch x 50 inch lap blanket (lapghan for those who like to be clever).  Although I still have a few (ha...a few) ends to weave in on the back, I love the fact that for the most part once you're done with the knitting, you've got a blanket to use. 

 

This time of year is the perfect time of year to knit on a lap blanket because it's starting to get chilly at night and having 1/4 of a blanket on your lap is cozy instead of stifling.  I started the blue and purple corner last night and I can't wait to see where it goes!

 

Interestingly enough, I am knitting this for my Nerd Wars dissertation, which means I have 3 months to finish it.  I'm a little worried since it's the end of the first month and I have only 1/4 done.  I'm not going to let that get me down though...I'm going to keep plugging away and let the colors unfold for me!

Random row

row

³  [rou]  Show IPA

noun

1.

a noisy dispute or quarrel; commotion.

2.

noise or clamor.

You know your child has been reading too many British novels when, upon being asked if he knows what a row is, a vigorous, boisterous, noisy reenactment of an actual row ensues.  

The other day,  Tyler and I were listening to an audio book of Harry Potter and the word "row" came up.  Being the teacher type I am I usually sneak in questions about what does xyz mean?  How can abc be applied in our life?  Is that an accurate assessment of this situation?    

Anyway, I asked what he thought "row" meant...I was fully expecting him to say "a fight" or "an argument."  What I got was SOOOO much better.  Tyler acted out a full on screeching, gesticulating, two sided row.  It was fantastic!  I should have recorded it, but I was too busy laughing on the floor (literally).

Quilt camp 2013

Quilt Camp this year was a little different from years previous partly because real life leading into Quilt Camp weekend was quite hectic with schedule changes, and partly because Kim, Jessica and Valerie were not there this year to add their zest and joy. We did get to make new friends this year though since Emily brought her mom and her friend/cousin/chosen family, Aly.  Though there was one point during the day when I looked around and wondered where my pressing expert, Valerie, went off to since I needed her desperately. 

On the last day that we were there it rained quite a bit and hailed a little.  One of the quilters even talked Roger Zimmerman into starting a rip roaring fire in the Lodge fireplace.  I swear the fire started so fast I thought there was a gas pipe underneath it that allowed it to start up so quickly, but Roger assured us that it was all him!

Co-Conspirators

So, it turns out that if you put a bunch of mischevious people together in one room for long enough and with enough talking and laughing....Crazy ideas will be hatched.  Ordinarily said mischevious people would look like normal humans you might see anywhere in your life...

Exhibit A

 Exhibit B

Exhibit C

DO NOT let their innocent appearances fool you though.  These folks are wickedly creative!  One night while Mom and Jess were visiting Aunt Lois and Uncle Doc in Texas, they got to talking about how much I like sheep...well, scheming really.  I'm not really sure HOW it all went down, but eventually the plan was hatched that Aunt Lois would sacrifice her beautiful sheep to the cause of a good practical joke/gift and Uncle Doc would sacrifice his beliefs on the way to treat a lady and write me a letter about my sheep's creation.  Both sacrifices were GREATLY appreciated (even a lady can understand that it's not really lying if it's for a good hearty laugh) and boy did I get a kick out of opening, planting, and sprouting Gertrude.  I swear, when I walked into the kitchen one day and saw that my sheep seed had sprouted I practically fell over laughing.  Evidentally, while Mom was in Texas, Aunt Lois helped her pack up Gertrude and bring her home in her luggage.  Then they waited...and waited...and when the time was right and I was the least suspecting, they SPRUNG their plot on me.  Uncle Doc acquired the closest thing to sheep "product" as he could get (eeeewww....I watered sheep poo!) and spent time gluing on some fleece.  Then he packaged it all up and they shipped it off to my house.  When the time was right and I was beginning to give up hope on my sheep seed ever sprouting, Mom brought in Gertrude and put her in my pot!!!  Even my dad was in the kitchen for the big discovery and boy did his eyes twinkle.  Mind you, I didn't find out the story until a while later since a)I couldn't quit laughing and b) my mom was being coy with their plotting.

Gertrude

Ok, so this whole exciting event in my life happened several months ago, but I've finally gotten all my pictures in the same place and am able to post about what happened.

I've always wanted a sheep.  It's probably no surprise to anyone who knows me that I LOVE sheep.  I think they are the absolutely fantasically MOST adorable things in the whole farming world.  I know they're dumb.  I also (now) know that they stink.  It doesn't matter to me; I still love them unconditionally.  Anyhow, that's the motivation behind the gift I received in the mail one day.  Another important tidbit is that I have and aunt and uncle in Texas and Uncle Doc is a COW doc.  He has absolutely no use whatsoever for sheep.  I'm pretty sure if they all fell off the face of the earth his life would be improved.  Mine however would be desolate...but I digress.  I received this letter in the mail which explained my package.

 If you look very carefully you will see that Doc had used his veterinarian contacts and know how to obtain a "fertilized ovum" to sprout a little lambie if only I would "plant it in some good potting soil about an inch deep and keep the soil slightly moist."  Turns out I knew even less about science than I thought that I did because I thought mammals had live births, but Doc is a doc so I should trust him.  I was a little leery...I'm not going to lie.  I felt like this was some sort of an intelligence test.  If I planted the sheep seed and it didn't grow I failed because everyone knows that sheep have live births.  If I didn't plant it, I failed because Doc knows things about animals that I don't (like, a LIFETIME'S worth more than I do...) and I shoulda trusted him.  If I planted it and it grew, then I still failed because everything I knew about science was wrong.  There was NO way for me to win this intelligence test. 

But...I'm a trusting person.  I believe that if someone tells me that something is for sure true, I should take their word for it.  So.....I got a pot...and tucked my fertilized sheep "product"...

 

And I waited.  Another thing my precious readers should know about is that I am NOT a very patient person.  But the letter said to wait 7-10 days to have my lambie sprout so I was determined to wait.  And wait... 

I dutifully watered my lamb every other day and wouldn't you just know it!?!  It sprouted!

 

 Do I look completely disbelieving?  I was VERY surprised at the miracles of modern verterinary medicine!!

Since my lambie was born with a purple ribbon, it was determined that she is in fact a she.  I named her Gertrude and she now lives happily at the office where I can see here every day.  She even has friends!!

I have been greatly enjoying having Gertrude to keep me company at work and she has been greatly enjoying being the first ever sprouted lamb.
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Check in tomorrow for further details surrounding the birth (?) of Gertrude!!!