Friday!!

Oh, friends, it has been A WEEK! I hit a wall last night, and that's having skipped out on two holiday get-togethers this week (basically opting for in-house/family get-togethers, instead). Today was my day off and I slept (more or less) until 9:30 am!

On Tuesday, the girls all gathered at my house in the afternoon for a Cookie Day!

I made sure to snap some photos of bakers/helpers before they all ran off. Does Malina seem a bit interested in the vino??? Maddy is used to being outnumbered by gingers, but it's not usually 4 to 1!!

Viv loves to cook and is darn good at putting together an appetizer tray, too. She and Maddy have not only been doing lots of cooking, but lots of clean up, too, so we're a little spoiled at the moment.

Last night was Ali's holiday party for KC&T and I watched the big kids. After a bit of a melt-down over underwear... in which Junah had two little accidents (waiting too long!) and I didn't have anymore undies, and he didn't want to wear any of mine nor Rusty's nor go commando (tho he did at least finally try) (and had I had sweatpants instead of overalls)... and finally agreed to be wrapped in a towel while I ran a "quick cycle" in the washer... they decorated some cookies. Whew!

Maddy & Viv have departed for MN, where they'll be visiting friends and also delivering Maddy's Subaru to its new owner!

I spent the day starting to get things under control around here after a few weeks of inattention, and am looking forward to/needing this weekend to really get things in shape!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Two for Tuesday

One - Football

Maddy & I had the pleasure of taking her girlfriend Viv to her first NFL game at Lambeau Field on Sunday. If she never goes to another, she's done alright! I told her that anyone she meets who's into American football will be impressed that she's been there!

• The game began with an F-16 fly-over by the "Tulsa Vipers" (a.k.a., the 125th Fighter Squadron) from the Oklahoma Air National Guard.
• We bundled up because it was COLD! We also had what they call "outdoor club seats," which come with plenty of warm indoor space and we definitely took advantage.
• We braved the cold and went up to the scoreboard for an overview -- and watched the Packers score a defensive touchdown from up there!
• The half-time show was a parachute jump by "The Wings of Blue" U.S. Air Force Parachute Team from Colorado Springs -- the last jumper was Santa Claus and he landed right in the end zone (though the mark was at the 20-yard line and there was a collective gasp when it looked like momentum might cause him to run into the wall)!

Two - Knitting

That's a sock -- shocking, I know! I can't remember the last time I knit socks, and I wouldn't have even considered it except that one of my favorite people in the whole wide world requested a pair, and Mary told me how much she loves knitting worsted socks and about her favorite pattern and modifications and before you knew it, I was dying worsted-weight yarn and getting excited about knitting socks!! Haha. And they are fast -- even with three or four tries before a successful tubular cast-on! I'm already ready to kitchener the toe... but think I'm going to frog it back to the start of toe shaping tonight and add a couple of rows.

Weekending: Whew!!

I didn't even finish talking about the weekend before last -- Sunday, anyway -- in which I took this:

...(plus a few more pieces) to THIS:

It took a lot longer than I'd hoped (I had a LOT more things on my to-do list) (still do), but it's done and I love it!

_ _ _ _ _

Last weekend started on Thursday evening with the first Christmas party of the season with the gang from work, and continued with a company-paid day off on Friday! I needed it, too, since I didn't have a regular day off last week. I did exciting things like get my oil changed & a tire repaired, picked up & dropped off packages at the coffee shop & visited with Ali for a while, went to the grocery store and Target. Woohoo! Those are all things that needed to be done, though, and I basically got paid to do them.

Rusty & I drove over to Two Rivers on Saturday for a meeting/gathering of the local chapter of Wisconsin Visual Artists. They met at the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum, and had organized an optional printing workshop... for which we both opted in!

One of my first real jobs was as a typesetter, though I didn't even know that's what I was doing at the time, and it was the very dawn of computer typesetting, so I never actually worked with block letters/art and real leading before. I just flipped switches to get the amount of leading I wanted between lines of type, and actually typed on a keyboard (mostly) instead of plucking individual letters from a type drawer. Either way, what was being produced was not the end-game... it was all destined for the printer! And though I never printed a darn thing in my life, I was in that environment for many years... and, coincidentally, Rusty owned a print shop at one time (long before I met him), and my brother also worked in various print shops for many years.

So this experience was both very familiar and very new!

We each had our own little sign press & galley with various tools, some ink & a supply of paper, and a good selection of type and art from which we could choose. I never actually thought about what I'd actually make/print, so I went seasonal first and went from there... here are a few examples of my work:

OMG. It was SO MUCH FUN!!!

I can't stop thinking about it, so I guess that means that a full-day (at least) workshop is in my future! Time was limited, so I really didn't spend much of it away from my own press, but I did take a peek at Rusty's project:

Well, he is an artist!

Edited to add: Rusty showing off one of his prints on the Hamilton Wood Type IG feed!

 

 

 

 

 

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Wisconsin Visual Artists in for a half-day workshop today. A great group of working artists all based here in WI! #wisconsinvisualartists #letterpress #letterpressworkshop #woodtype #artists #inky #wva #newiartist #foxcityarts #wisconsinart #tworiverswi

A post shared by Hamilton Wood Type (@hamiltonwoodtype) on Dec 8, 2018 at 12:55pm PST

There was inspiration everywhere:

...including in the bathroom:

There was an amazing exhibit of Jim Sherraden's work at the museum...

Including these paper quilts. He's apparently been a visiting artist at Hamilton. I didn't know, until I googled just now, that he's famous! Way cool.

I hope you had a great weekend, too!

Whirlwind Art Trip with Kate (part three)

Homeward bound.

We got a pretty early start... because it's a long drive (7+/- hours) and we had another art stop in Chicago. A bridge was closed, so we were detoured north out of St. Louis... advantage being a new view! (Bissinger's, by the way, is a chocolatier. Mmm.)

The weather was being rather dramatic right off the bat.

Our first stop in Chicago, though, was for food!

La Barca is a Mexican Restaurant/Taqueria/Food Mart that was featured on the Chicago espisode of Marcus Samuelsson's PBS Food series No Passport Required. This was actually Kate's idea!

And it was a very good idea! The tacos were delicious... I had asada and pollo. And chips & salsa. And a beer.

Next stop:

A visit with Aviv Benn at Devening Projects+Editions.

I met Aviv last year at her MFA Show in Chicago... a trip that I must not have blogged about! Kate's July 2017 youngspace interview with Aviv Benn. 

We also popped in to see Volker Saul's work and I kept being drawn to this one... with thoughts turning to sewing and Alabama Chanin.

The weather turned to crap (-pier) on the way home from Chicago. I thought I had the worst of it in southern Wisconsin, but then Kate took the wheel around Fond du Lac and it became crappiest -- wet slushy snow, not made any better by stupid drivers (of big trucks).

We ditched the freeway on the last leg home. At least downtown Appleton looked sort of pretty. We followed a snowplow for the last stretch. Needless to say, it was great to arrive home!

Whirlwind Art Trip with Kate (part two)

We had a leisurely start on Friday morning, then head out for a bite to eat before our museum stops. A friend of Kate's had suggested Cafe Osage at Bowood, so that's where we went. What a wonderful place! Very open and light, with huge windows... We both remarked that it was my mother's kind of place -- she'd have loved it -- and noted that 90% of the clientele reminded us of her, too! Nana-types!

We had to have a beverage with breakfast/more like brunch, so it might as well be something fun! I chose "Cherub's Cup" (north shore #6 gin, st. germain liqueur, adami prosecco, strawberry simple syrup) and Kate had "Rosey Bee" (barr hill raw honey infused gin, rose liqueur, rose geranium, lemon). We shared a plate of Roasted Cauliflower (pickled grapes, tahini, breadcrumb)  because how could we not?? Kate had Poached Eggs with Lox and I had the Artichoke Omelet. It was all so good!!

Kate overheard a woman at the next table giving the waitress what-for about a few things, including that the music was overpowering. Feedback is great and everyone has their opinion, but the music was NOT overpowering and everything was wonderful -- and I felt bad for our waitress. When she brought our check, I made it a point to tell her that everything was perfect -- the drinks, the food, the service, and the music! She laughed and it was as if I could see the earlier unwarranted criticism falling from her shoulders. It made my day, and I hope it made hers a little better, too.

Anyway, the Bowood Garden/Home/Gift shop that Cafe Osage is a part of was so fun, and there was a special Holiday Shop open in a building across the street, too. So we did a little poking around and shopping.

Then it was off to the main event. Ruth Asawa: Life's Work at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. I think the Pulitzer is one of my favorite places ever. The exhibit is breathtaking and, without apology, I'm going to post a ton of photos because it's all just so fascinating and mesmerizing... each individual piece, each part of each piece, the pieces as they hang together and relate to each other, apart and layered, the spaces, the shadows... It's ethereal and indescribable and... just so beautiful.

Fascinating.

Still fascinating.

And still fascinating.

I just couldn't get enough.

I want to live there.

This lovely children's book, Ruth Asawa: A Sculpting Life, was waiting when we got home and I can't wait to read it to the kiddos!

We caught our breath and walked next door to the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

Sanford Biggers, Shepherd, 2016; glitter, tar, acrylic, spray paint, assorted textiles, antique quilts

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled panel, 1980; oilstick, graphite pencil, latex on board

It was a bit early for dinner, but not enough time to go back to the house, so we went to Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club, located at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

And we had some more delightful drinks! This was a combo of gin, thyme liqueur, basil simple syrup, and cava -- it was the thyme & basil components + plus the sparkling wine that I found irresistible! Cheers!!

For dinner, we went to the brand new Grand Tavern by David Burke in the Angad Arts Hotel, and that was another incredible meal! We shared some emotional lobster dumplings, and then Kate had black linguine with clam sauce and I had branzino (with artichoke hummus, black olive, vegetable vinaigrette). Two Nana-types at the neighboring table (a mother & daughter, actually) had couch potatoes and clothesline bacon, and offered a piece of the bacon to us (they were big pieces and super-thick). The bacon is actually served on a little "clothesline," held with clothespins, and caramelized with a little torch right at the table. Yeah. It was crazy (and good -- it can be crazy if it's good)!! Oh, and we had some flame action at our table with an old-school baked alaska for dessert.

Then it was across the street to the Fabulous Fox and the Hip Hop Nutcracker... and you know the rest of that story!

Whirlwind Art Trip with Kate (part one)

Bonny referred to my "whirlwind art trips with Kate" the other day and I loved it! I've decided that it's a thing... currently, an Instagram hashtag! #whirlwindarttripwithkate 

It fits like a glove. This is a photo & caption that Kate posted on Facebook the other day and I immediately made it my profile pic:

Visiting the Ruth Asawa Life’s Work show at Pulitzer and feeling all the
Black Mountain College love and lore rushing back... such a stunning show,
and there’s my mom because she’s such a super spontaneous fast-paced art trip copilot
and it was her idea to run to STL for this show in the first place.

Haha. Kate's not always the instigator! I don't remember how I first learned about this show, but from that moment I was plotting a trip to see it. And there you see me and a big part of the exhibit... there will be more on that later. First things first.

We planned our departure for Wednesday after work, and it turns out that it was the same day that Maddy returned from her vintage gig at an Oregon winery! Kate's day was shorter than mine, so those two had a nice catch-up over lunch and hung out for a while. I was able to kiss & hug & hit the high notes while I finished packing, and then Kate and I hit the road at right about 5pm. We stayed overnight outside of Chicago and got a reasonably early start on Thursday.

When I wasn't dropping DPNs, stitch markers, or stitches, I was even able to get some knitting done on the way! (I think I'll finally finish that mitt tonight.)

Our first stop was for lunch! We were actually headed someplace else when Salt + Smoke Barbeque caught our eye. We were not disappointed with that choice!!

Then it was on to the St. Louis Art Museum to see the Kehinde Wiley show. Oh Em Gee...

I'm going to post only this photo here and I love it because it shows the scale of his work. They are wild... in the best possible way. You can scroll through the rest here:

There was much more to see, of course.

This amazing covered bowl & plate set caught my eye. Does anyone else see balls of yarn in that design???

We checked in at our Airbnb -- a beautiful carriage house that I kept imagining with my own furniture and thinking about where I'd put my yarn. Those are the best... the ones that I want to move into! This was my 22nd stay at an Airbnb, and I guess you could say I'm a fan! (Join Airbnb through this link and you'll receive a $40 credit toward your first trip, and I'll get a $20 credit, too.)

The house was close enough that we walked over to check out Brewery Lights at Anheuser-Busch! What a fun event!! Admission is free and includes a beer (or beverage of choice).

Does it look like we had fun?? Haha. Completely out of character, we opted for not one but TWO souvenir photos... one with the LOVE BEER sign and one with the CLYDESDALE (because CLYDESDALE)!

On the way back, we stopped off at a fabulous restaurant called Frazer's and had a wonderful meal. The food was superb and the service was top-notch.

I'm thinking this is a Corgi? Christmas decoration?? Am I missing something?

Then we walked home and fell into bed, ready for Friday (our only full day in St. Louis)!

St. Louis Update

Ha. So, I've updated the text a bit and replaced and/or added photos to my last two posts, which were originally made from my phone.

I have a lot to share... Kehinde Wiley, Ruth Asawa, and much, much more!! It was a fun trip (except for the last hour driving in slushy snow).

I'll be back!

30 - Updated!

Hip Hop Nutcracker! Now with more info!!

We saw The Hip Hop Nutcracker at The Fabulous Fox Theatre! And, wow, what a theatre!

Incredible on the outside...

Mind-blowing on the inside. That isn't even the half of it... our seats were quite high my phone was supposed to be off, but I couldn't help it.

Anyway, reviews were mixed. Kate was tired and not all that into it*. I liked it a lot... closer would have been better.

Here's a little clip/blurb from a few years ago, but it's exactly the show we saw.

*Instead of HHN, we could have gone to concerts by Nathaniel Rateliff, Bob Seger, or Kenny G... heehee.

And that's a NaBloPoMo wrap.

29 - Updated!

Hey, Saint Louis.

Posting a photo from my phone obviously DID NOT WORK! What posted in the original post wasn't even one-quarter of the original shot (now updated, above)... but hey, that crane tho!! Hahaha.

This was taken late Thursday from the steps of the St. Louis Art Museum. What a beautiful place... all of it.

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Meet me in St. Louis! << Wouldn't that be fun??

Kate & I are headed south this evening, with an overnight at an as-yet undetermined location in Illinois. We've tended to do St. Louis in whirlwind fashion and this trip will be no exception, as we'll be back home by Saturday.

The main reason for the trip is Ruth Asawa: Life's Work at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. I've been interested in Ruth Asawa's work because:

How could I not be? I saw just this very small installation at the de Young Museum in San Francisco in 2010 and was positively smitten from that very moment. So intriguing.

Kate's familiar because her Master's thesis at Edinburgh was about Black Mountain College, where Ruth Asawa lived/worked/studied with the likes of Josef Albers (another favorite) and Buckminster Fuller for a few years.

I mean... REALLY!

It's just amazing. I'm very excited to see much, much more of her work. And since we won't likely meet in St. Louis and enjoy this show together, here is a pretty cool link to View an Asawa Installation at ruthasawa.com (and a million other fascinating things to click on there).

We will also visit the St. Louis Art Museum to see Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis, and have tickets to The Hip Hop Nutcracker, and hope to get over to see the Christmas display at Anheuser-Busch (which is walking distance from our Airbnb, so very likely!). It would be interesting to see how the holiday display at the Botanical Garden has changed from last year, and it would be great to catch some jazz/blues somewhere... we'll see. Whirlwind.

_ _ _ _ _

I can't let this day pass, it seems, without acknowledging this accomplishment...

Happy EIGHTH Birthday, Parcheesi! You're still my favorite project, and still looking beautiful.

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On Sunday, I helped Kate pick out her tree. Delivery was free!! Rusty helped her haul it upstairs and set it in the stand, and I watched her decorate it.

She's using a lot of vintage ornaments that were my mom's, and found a cute tinsel garland at the thrift store.

Some old are more fragile than others and remained in the box. Mom had quite a collection of these pot/lantern things, though, so a fair number are actually on the tree!

I love those old ornament boxes! I'll post a pic of her tree in its full glory. 

Tomorrow, we're off on an adventure,.. stay tuned!

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Shameless self-promotion follows.

I’m having a blast and am humbled by the lovely response to this latest phase in my ongoing yarn-y endeavours! Kate's been encouraging me for quite a long time and, yes, she did sort of smirk when she asked, "Aren't you glad you finally did that?"

I’ve updated online shop inventory, and have added some brand new and a fair bit of OOAK* hand-dyed “Be” fingering/sock yarn!

Use discount code MONDAY for 20% off any online order

Use SHIPFREE for free shipping on orders over $50

Codes valid now through, well, MONDAY (today, midnight CST)!

Oh, and a FREE MINI-SKEIN will accompany every order, while supply lasts!!

It should all work but, y’know, this is all new… so let me know if you have any problems checking out!

*I've never been very good at the color name game... still searching for the elusive inspirational theme that will solve all my problems.

25

Now that I'm getting older...

I need a bigger TV! Haha. I guess it doesn't look all that big in the photo, but it's 50" vs. our old 32". I bought the 32" because it was the biggest that would fit in our entertainment center and I wasn't ready to give that up. Now I am. It's a nice piece of furniture and, for now, it's going to be repurposed into yarn storage. It'll also make my workroom look nicer.

Seriously, though, mine eyes!! Ugh. That is the absolute worst thing about getting older. I hate it.

There's a lot of rearranging to do, as obviously I don't have a single piece of furniture that's wide enough to accommodate that new TV! The old TV, entertainment center & accessories are all still where they were -- because what if I didn't like the new one? We'll watch the Packers tonight on the "big screen"!

I found my knitting machines stashed behind the entertainment center!

24

I didn't do any yarn dyeing or rearranging of furniture yesterday (to speak of), but I did wash windows and do some holiday decorating outside. It was in the mid-40s(F)!!

I bought a really nice window washer/squeegee thing a few years ago and it's one of the best things I've ever purchased! It made such quick work of the kitchen windows -- which had been driving me nuts now that it's full-on morning sun instead of filtered -- that I moved on to the garden room windows and then I had the bright idea to do my dye studio windows!

These are windows that had been painted (exterior storms) once or twice in 31 years but opened for the first time only last year! I had never washed them -- and I'm pretty sure that the painter/Rusty didn't (at least not to specs) -- so it was quite thrilling to see the difference. Clean on the left, dirty on the right -- at this is without the storm windows, so it was even a bit worse.

I did this candy cane stripey thing on the front porch pillars (different/bigger pillars) years ago and the kids always want me to do it again. I don't always... but this year, it's DOUBLE! It turned out OK, I think.

Then, of course, it was time for a nap.

I am working on the Appleseed Mitts from the Mason-Dixon Field Guide No. 8 - Merry Making! I'd already bound off the first mitt and this was my re-do... it was too tight the first time, of course! VeryPink's YouTube tutorial for a tubular bind-off was just the ticket! I finished that (perfect!), knit the thumb, and am on my way with mitt #2.

23

We had a really nice day yesterday!

I fiddled with the tree lights -- wadding up three non-working half-strings and stuffing them near the trunk, and putting on four new 50-light strings. 

Ali and the kids came over in the early afternoon and, as expected, excitement was off the charts once they noticed it.

They decorated the little wire tree in the kitchen, first, and then we moved on to the big one...

There's a bit more to do, and Maddy's box of ornaments await her arrival next week, but the bulk of it is done. Earlier than ever! That probably means it'll come down earlier than ever, too, but who knows... I really do love the light!

Ginny had a favorite branch for hanging ornaments!  :)

Our menu was simple and delicious, the main event being Cooking Light's Instant Pot Turkey & Sage Dumpling Soup. My only mods to the recipe were that I probably added a bit more veg, and I'd bought a split turkey breast that I had to de-bone myself and I went right ahead and cut it into pieces, too. I was worried that the small pieces would get overcooked, but they were perfect, and it eliminated the messy step of removing the turkey after it was cooked to shred/cut it up. That recipe is a keeper!

I'm off of work today, and plan to do some rearranging of furniture and also some yarn dyeing! Yahoo for long weekends!!

22

Happy Thanksgiving!!

21

I had to do some straightening up this morning because the cleaning ladies were coming. It's just a happy circumstance that it's the day before Thanksgiving! (And it'll be just a few days before Christmas!)

Rusty helped bring the tree upstairs this morning, worried that a painting project he had planned in the basement would be in the way later.

My check & cleaning at the dentist went great. My hygienist is a brand new mom just back to work this week, so we were even chattier than usual.

My chiropractor appointment went well. After suspecting that she was pregnant my last two visits, today it was confirmed!!

I had time for a quick lunch and a thrift store stop (nothing good), and then my re-check mammogram appointment... which I was not too worried about but still not exactly excited about, either.

I've taken better selfies, but I think you can tell that things went OK! I barely sat down after the first two images were taken, while the radiologist took a look to determine whether ultrasound was needed, when the technician came in and said that there was NOTHING THERE. Yahoo.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

20

Today in {yesterday's} screenshots!

Maddy & Viv saw Fleetwood Mac in Portland last night!! Heyyyy! I don't know quite how I feel about the 50 years part of Fleetwood Mac - 50 Years - Don't Stop, but what a collection.

Rusty wanted a screenshot of his Instagram page yesterday to insert into his most recent email to subscribers. He's got the hang of IG and has been posting more frequently, so wants to promote it more. He said, "Maybe you could help me when you get home." Haha. In about 3 seconds, it was in his in-box.

I love taking screenshots, especially from the more fleeting platforms such as Snapchat and IG stories -- the trick is catching them before they disappear, and I don't always make it. It's like a little game...

19

Eight weeks ago, having recently let my WW membership lapse, I was recruited by Kate to join her in a commitment to eat better and lose some weight. So I reacquainted myself with my Lose It app and we started planning & logging (the key to success no matter the program)! We coordinate dinners as much as we can and mostly cook & eat at home! It can be tiresome... sometimes I think we need something new in rotation, and not just a dish, a big new actual palatable, main-dishable ingredient thing... but we're managing. We're not doing any one thing, just buying, preparing & eating Real Good Food.

There's only one scale in the house and it happens to be in Kate's apartment, so once every week or so, on the weekend or my day off, before breakfast & getting dressed, I wrap a scarf 'round my neck and step into some boots (not even bothering to zip/tie) and dash outside & up the stairs in my bathrobe for a weigh-in.

I've lost 10.6 pounds since then. Not setting the world on fire, but that's OK! I've done some traveling, some socializing, some celebrating, and still... my clothes fit better (ok, yes, I'm talking about jeans) and I feel better, win-win.

I don't have any other photos to show today, so you get yarn. These are in the shop now. There's more on the drying rack, and an order arriving at the end of the week!

18

I'm finally going to start Bunching Along!

I've been itching to cast on since I first read about it, but there were other thing I needed to get done first... who am I? waiting to finish other things??

The yarn is wound, I'm ready to find my DPNs, and will be casting on the Appleseed Mitts this evening. Yahoo.

(I also really, really, really want to knit one or two or three Slip-Stitch Caps!)

17

Yep. I forgot to blog yesterday! I made that realization in the middle of the night, but I did not lose any sleep over it. Heh.

Yesterday was FULL!

I ran some errands in the morning, which included a little socializing with the local spinning/fiber group. And by a little, I mean around :45! It was on my route, though, and it worked out.

Then the kiddos came over so Mom & Dad could do a little kid-free shopping and they even grabbed a bite to eat together.

Ginny & Junah helped me with some new fall decor:

We played and had snacks and watched a movie.

Malina is sitting up so great that I thought I could try the booster seat high chair thingy, and she did great! What do you think, what is that face telling us... does she like avocado??

I gave all the kids their mukluks, but this is the only photo I got. I kept them all here, though, so I'll try again on Thursday! Bonus: 5-year-old Baby Leggings that I originally knit for Junah!

It's a sunny morning -- the kind of morning that I love best in the studio -- so off I go! I'll be back with the real "18" later... unless I forget!!

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Since the kids are coming over tomorrow for a while around lunchtime...

Y'all might not have to wait until Thanksgiving for a modeled shot!! I don't think I'll be able to keep them to myself!

I knit a pair of these for Rusty in the past and lemme just say that these littles were WAY more fun!

Have a great weekend. I'll check in sometime tomorrow, of course!

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3TT*

Thing 1 -- I dropped a Wonder Clip the other night, heard it skitter on the floor, and got up to look for it -- twice. I didn't come up with it, but I did find an earring that I'd lost weeks ago! I was beginning to think it was truly lost and had already bought a cheap (but rather nice) knock-off pair -- because they're practically part of my uniform.

Thing 2 -- There's only one pair of Mukluks left to sew up! They're the biggest, but between Knit Night & tonight's Packer game, I ought to be able to get them done today!

Thing 2b -- What to knit next???

Thing 3 -- Dyeing.

I spent Tuesday morning down there and it was glorious -- the light on a sunny morning is so great! Looking forward to some dye time this weekend. It sure helps to brighten up a cold November day.

Visit Carole to read more *Three Things on Thursday posts.

 

14

Joining Kat & the Unravelers... 

KNITTING:

OMG. Mukluks!

These are Malina's! The first of three pair that I intended as Christmas presents, but I think they're going to be Thanksgiving Tree Trimming Party presents!

I already have one of Ginny's slippers sewn together... reclaiming enough Wonder Clips to at least get Junah's prepped for sewing.

I've double-stitched Malina's because she's going to be crawling soon and those toes, especially, will need reinforcement!

READING:

You probably don't even need to read about what I'm reading... but I swear, I'm almost finished with The Best Cook in the World: Tales From my Momma's Table by Rick Bragg. I have one chapter and a few recipes to go! Perhaps I'm drawing it out because I'll be sad when I'm finished...

On deck is Fashion Climbing: A Memoir with Photographs by Bill Cunningham. It's not nearly as long... and has more pictures!

13

Speaking of found things, particularly money...

Spot the $20 bill!

I have a couple of tins in which I keep my traveling sewing supplies -- various types of needles, thread, scissors, thimbles -- and at the bottom of one is a $20 bill. It's been there for a long time -- a few years -- and I can't recall why I put it there in the first place, but I keep forgetting about it and am surprised when I find it again... every.single.time. I doubt I'd even remember it was there if I was ever so desperate!!

Oh, Alabama!! It was a year ago that Kym & I were at the Alabama Chanin 3-Day Workshop -- I've been seeing FB reminders of that very fun trip. My "I Got Swamped" pin from Judy Hood's Swampette Tour is peeking from under some scissors in the top tin. I wish I was further along on my Car Jacket, but it's been out on my work table and I've definitely been thinking about it... even making a stitch now and then. *sigh*

12

One of the things I always have with me is tissue -- usually those little packs that fit easily into a pocket or purse. So I really loved the very useful little gift that Kathy gave me YEARS ago, and I used it almost everyday... until I lost it!

But, last week, when I stuck my hand into the pocket of my winter coat for the first time this "winter," I found it! Oh happy day! It made me almost as happy as when I've done that and found $10 or $20!

Haha. Almost.   :)

11

I had an impromptu Pajama Day yesterday, which resulted in my FINALLY getting a start on listing some magazines on ebay -- HERE and HERE -- with plenty more to come, including MORE magazines, some clothes, and some photography gear.

I made it a point to get out of the house today -- the grocery store, etc. -- but also listed some YARN at Make.Do! Here's a peek:

Most of it is sock yarn, and it's all OOAK (and therefore very limited) at the moment. I guess I did my first SHOP UPDATE! (Feels weird.)

Hope you've had a great weekend! I will see you again tomorrow...

10

DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

Rusty, Kate, Ali & I went to see Bohemian Rhapsody last night. LOVED THE CAST! Rami Malek was incredible as Freddie, and Gwilym Lee simply must share DNA with Brian May. I might agree with some of the critics' quibbles -- if I was looking for an extensive in-depth biopic or a film. It's not that. It is a very entertaining movie! We laughed, we cried, we sang along! Can't ask for more.

9

Eye Candy Friday!

At least it's pretty?? Happy Weekend!

8

3TT: Randomly (sort of)

Thing 1

It's getting real around here. I saw snow on the ground on our way to MN on Monday (not much of it, but still... on the ground) and it looks like I might wake up to about an inch tomorrow, with another inch falling in the morning hours. That's a lot better than the 3-6" I'd seen in the forecast earlier today. YUCK, no matter how many or few inches!

Thing 2

We've started the conversation about Christmas around here! Specifically, that at least some of us are going to be drawing names again. We did that for years and I think it started to fade when Sharon died and, for sure, everything about Christmas changed after my mom died. This year, I already know that Thanksgiving is going to be very low key (possibly one of those "lasagna" Thanksgivings) but I'm thinking it might be a FULL-ON CHRISTMAS!!

Thing 3

I've even started some Christmas knitting for the kiddos!

Visit Carole to read more "Three Things on Thursday" posts.

7

I was going to tell you about my day today, which started with a long-overdue doctor appointment, followed by a drive up to Sturgeon Bay with Rusty to pick up some artwork, a lovely lunch stop, a bit of shopping, and a nap when I got home.

Then I revisited some photos that Ali shared over the past couple of days...

Junah, the "fancy" dresser!

A very chill Malina wearing the Oshkosh B'gosh pink floral corduroy footie overalls worn by her mother and all of her aunts!! Quality (30+ years) for the WIN!!

Who loves her big sister???

OMG. Malina & Ginny -- FUTURE MISCHIEF MAKERS, right there!!!

(You're welcome!!)