Georgia Eat Your Heart Out

The inside of flowers often hold this secret!   Georgia knew this...

Is this beautiful or what?  My neighbor Laurie gave me this hibiscus yesterday.  I was pleased enough with the surprise and the  plant itself.  The true gift though was the gift of color.   How could she have know that color is one of my favorite things?

I have been pouring over watercolor books, looking at color wheels and pallets, testing my watercolors at night before I go to bed.  I am preparing for some paintings about to hatch.   I have bee thinking color, even dreaming  about color.  All this makes me very happy.

Kathy's Birthday Mittens

The cuff yarn "spoke to me" - I had to make something with it!

BASIC ROLLED END MITTEN PATTERN

MATERIALS-- 1 skein Knitting Worsted (I used Lamb's pride Worsted 85% Wool/15% Mohair here - nice!),  and a few yards for contrasting edge and Knitting Needles Size 10.

GAUGE: 6 stitches=1 inch, 9 rows=1 inch

CUFF-- Cast on 48 sts, place them on 4 (or 3) needles, knit contrast yarn for roll about 2 inches then 2 more inches in main color.

 1st increasing round for thumb: increase in next st, k 1, increase in next st, k to end of round. K 2 rounds even.

2nd increasing round: increase in next st (mark this as the first thumb st), k 3, increase in next st (the last thumb st), k to end of round. K 2 rounds even.

3rd increasing round: increase in first thumb st, k 5, increase in last thumb st, k to end of round. K 2 rounds even.

4th increasing round: increase in the first thumb st, k 7, increase in last thumb st, k to end of round. K 2 rounds even.

5th increasing round: increase in first thumb st, k 9, increase in last thumb st, k to end of round. K 2 rounds even.

6th increasing round: increase in first thumb st, k 11, increase in last thumb st, k to end of round (60 sts in round). K 3 rounds even, ending at the first thumb st. Slip the next 15 sts to a strand of yarn, to be held for thumb. Cast on 3 sts at end of last needle (between thumb and hand), k to end of round (48 sts in round). Work even for 4 inches.

1st decreasing round: * k 4, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round (8 decrease). K 3 rounds even.

2nd decreasing round: * k 3, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round. K 2 rounds even.

3rd decreasing round: * k 2, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round. K 1 rond even.

4th decreasing round: * k 1, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round. K 1 round even.

5th decreasing round: k 2 tog, 8 times in succession. Break off, leaving an end. Draw end through all 8 sts, draw them together tightly and darn in end.

THUMB-- Slip the 15 sts held for thumb to 2 needles, with a 3rd needle pick up and k 4 sts on the 3 cast-on sts between thumb and hand. K even until thumb measures 2 1/4 inches from the cast-on sts; k 2 sts tog at end of last round.

1st decreasing round: * k 2 tog, k 4, repeat from * to end of round. K 1 round even.

2nd decreasing round: * k 2 tog, k 3, repeat from * to end of round. K 1 round even.

3rd decreasing round: k 2 sts tog, 6 times in succession. Break off, leaving an end; draw end through remaining 6 sts, tighten and darn in end.

Grandmas's Hands

My grandmother wasn’t especially pretty…

But she had beautiful hands.

Her hands…

Knit mittens,

Embroidered pillow-cases,

Made cinnamon bread,

Prayed the rosary,

Cheered for the Minnesota Twins,

Planted iris,

Canned jam and pickles,

Braided rugs,

Told stories of days on the farm,

Cooked pot roast and gravy,

Stitched quilts,

All the while singing “tre-de-de-de”

But best of all…

Grandmas’s hands

hugged me.

The Dentist's Library

Besides the whole wellness idea, one thing I like about going to the dentist or doctor - is the magazines you wouldn't otherwise read. I confess to this guilty pleasure and to reading People magazine at my doctors office. My dentist has more "refined" taste. I read Architectural Digest and Traditional Home there today.

I especially liked the short article by designer Barbara Berry on Ways to Nourish the Soul. This is a hybrid list inspired by what I read:

• Light - Let their be light. A house that lets the outside in is a beautiful house.
• Color - I find such joy in color whether it's looking at the inside of a flower or comparing fabrics make a quilt to looking at photos together simply for their color.
• Garden - How can a biologist think it's a miracle that things grow, but I do.
• Farmers Markets - What joy to walk amid all the colors and textures, to meet the farmers and pick your nourishment by hand.
• Hiking - The mind goes to a special place when hiking. It is a good place
• Yoga - Formal practice or just straightening the spine and breathing deeply, it does wonders.
• Nice sheets - Don't skimp on sheets, they hug you all night long.
• Bedtime shower - The days cares go down the drain.
• Tea - Calming cup of tea, inhale the steam and aroma, warm the hands, relax.
• Girlfriends - Energy boost, always.
• Knitting - Is it the rhythm or the slow productivity? Maybe its the colors and tactile sensation.
• Sketching - Like hiking, sketching takes me to another place. I wish I was not so rusty.
• Blank Slate - Having nothing to do is such a blessing. I always told my kids boredom invents creativity.
• Acoustic music - Whatever genre, I like it. A capella, I am in heaven.
• Watercolors - Sketching and watercolors makes a two-for-one piece of tranquility.
• My children's baby pictures - Make me happy. I never tire of them.
• Family - Roots that ground you. Nourish them.
• Home - My castle and where the heart is. No cliche, it's real.
• Outdoor sauna - How I miss mine. Someday....
• Process - Not that I like a regiment but cooking with love, maintenance with with care or design with intent brings satisfaction.

Vacation Socks

Socks relaxing

These are my favorite so far. Knit with Ty-Dy Sock Yarn on # 3 needles with the Uptown Boot Sock pattern from Interweave Press's Favorite Socks book.

To add to the pleasure, they were knit on the road (and ferry) on Vancouver Island and enroute to New York City.

Dishtowels

I can never resist leaves!

It doesn't take much to make me happy. Dishtowels are one of those things. Just out of college and living off $1000 of my remaining savings and pursuing an internship as a wildlife researcher, I discovered that if I could afford to buy fresh mushrooms and a new dishtowel, that I was living the good life.

Time has past, my tastes and savings have evolved. It still feels good when I have fresh mushroom and new dishtowels. These are my new finds from Crate and Barrel. Leaves - I couldn't resist.

After all, isn't this one of the secrets of life? Find joy in the small things.