Mamascrapalota-Blogga

Noises

We've been slowly getting ready for Christmas around here since we are expecting guests.  Byron's mom comes first for a week and some, and then my parents come for about 10 days over Christmas.

I kept hearing rustling, and shuffling, with some purring involved.  I could ignore it for awhile, but finally I had to check out the sound.

Behold, Morris the cat in the fake poinsettia wreath center.  Fast asleep until I took this photo.  He's like, "What...?"  "Really, isn't this a normal place to take a nap?"

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Here's Oreo - named by Kid 1, a custom order for Colorful Yarns.

And, that's all she wrote!

Sunset, Knitting, and Deer

On Sunday when we got home the sky was on fire.  It was cold and crisp, and beautiful and this sunset went from light yellow, to orange and then pink.  I love Colorado

Another reason I love Colorado?  The wildlife in my backyard.  Now, some fools still try to have gardens and things that the Deer eat, so they don't like deer AT ALL.  Not this fool, I love 'em.  I don't garden.  See last post.

This buck has been bothering all the females that live in my scrub-oak forest.  They can't get away from him fast enough, if you know what I mean.  He herds them all around the place, man!  They just can't escape. But isn't he pretty!

The mom and her twins were sitting with me yesterday afternoon. We were about 5 feet away from each other, only separated by a large picture window.  They see me coming, prick up their huge Mule-Deer ears, chew their cud and then go back to sleep. Apparently the younger twin survived her large rip in her side I reported on this last summer and is doing just fine.  She's much smaller than her brother, but looks as healthy as can be.

I cast on for a new pair of socks yesterday in my own yarn.  Here's the toe and the mom grooming the baby girl behind me.  SO cute! The deer, not the toe!

And, Tiffany, this is for you. It's the sack of the Merino/Seacell, with the note of things not to forget to bring you last night, ON TOP OF THE BAG!  Real smart. See the new carpet, and the cat toy?  P.S. Byron likes the table a lot.  I'm glad I got it. Thanks!

OK, that's all she wrote for today.
Everyone have a good one!

I think I'm gonna paint this.

My Aunt Billie from Dallas Texas grows a TON of peppers and different items in her vegetable garden.  She also grows an AMAZING garden up in her mansion/estate (hee-she'll love reading that part) and is always talking gardening.  Now, I'm no gardener, nor am I EVER interested in gardening, unless I'm at Aunt Billie's house.  Now, that's a real treat to get a "private" garden tour from her.  Fo' sure.

One day while I was there three weeks ago (not this last trip) she brought this funky, twisty one in from the garden along with three other wierdos.  I took a picture and forgot about it until last night, out of pure boredom I started photoshopping it.  First I extracted it from the brick it was laying on, then I added the red background, and then I did that cool stained glass look to it. I like it.  But, now I think it needs to be painted.  Yeah, I'll get right on that.  Actually maybe sooner than later.  Who knows. 

I've got some dying to do.

And, that is all she wrote.

Aspen with no snow = Sad

Really though, it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. Four hills for skiing, and you'd think there would be some snow somewhere! As you can see above, they are making snow on the top of Ajax/Aspen Mountain (click for big) and you can take the gondola and hang out at the Sundeck up top.  Look, it's deserted!

There were a few kids stealing the trays and "traying" down the hill.  I think this has been done throughout the ages. I remember doing this as a kid in Mammoth, CA, and Deer Valley, UT. 

Snowmass had 200 vertical feet open and the daddies took the 4 kiddos over to do that, while they sat in the sun on the deck and had lunch and a few beers. They Mommies?  Well, we shopped. Tomorrow I'll try to remember to show you some of what I bought.  I'm not a fan of showing things I've purchased, but one thing I bought merits a showing.  I love it.

On Friday everyone went skiing, but me.  I have hurt my foot pretty badly and it is still swollen, so no ski boot on this foot for me.  At the funeral, I was walking backwards and fell off the curb in my high heel clogs (dichotomy, right?).  I'm a gimp.  So, what did I do?  I went shopping.  Christmas shopping is ALMOST done!!!! Yea!

On the knitting front....

Maddening news. While in Aspen I didn't get much knitting done, but I did manage to get two full rows of rectangles done (about 5 hours off and on).  At the end of the second row, when I was about to start the triangle on the end, I noticed I had made a BIG mistake and couldn't pick up the stitches I needed to pick up for the next row of rectangles because one of my rectangles went the wrong way.  ARRRGGGGG!!!!! What????? How did that happen?  At first I was going to get all Amish-ee, Navajo-ee on myself and leave the problem in, so my piece wouldn't be "perfect," but I knew that I couldn't stand that large of a mistake. Bah.  I had to rip out.  So frog I did, and I'm back to where I started at the beginning of our trip.  Oh well.  So, here's a shot of Lady E  off of our porch, against Aspen Mountain, pointing the way to the gondola.

And, here she is draped over the railing.  Getting tired of her yet?  Since I'm being a bit monogamous, this might be all you see for awhile. 

Ok, my American readers, how was your Thanksgiving week?  I hope you had a good one, that was as relaxing as mine.  Did you hug the neck of a loved one like I told you to?  Did you eat a lot of good food?  Have a great week this week too. 

And, that is all she wrote....for today.

Animal Love, Yarns, and Thanksgiving

I got to go to  the Plain and Fancy Farm and Dye Studio while in Jacksonville, TX for my granddaddy's funeral.  It's not 30 minutes away from there in a very little town called Henderson.  East Texas is really the most beautiful part of Texas, that is for sure. While there I got to take some beautiful pictures of her Merino Sheep.  Above and below are shots of her girls in the barn and out grazing in the yard.  Notice the long tails?  She doesn't dock any of the tails.  I kind of like that look.

When I got back home, it seems like everyone was trying to make me happy. Even Missy and Morris.  A little inter-species love, or is that, inner-species love?  Well, whatever it is it was cute.  As you can tell...Missy is so scared of Morris it's silly.  He tries to groom her and she gets all stiff and puts her head low to the ground as if to hide from the scary small being with the rough tongue.

Some newish colors in my Aspen sock for your viewing pleasure...

Avalon (The main town on Catalina Island off the coast of California)

Buffalo Beach (The Newport Harbor Yacht Club private beach on Catalina)

Grasshopper

Honeymoon

Pueblo

Punch Drunk

These yarns can be found at Colorful Yarns, in Centennial, CO.  phone # 303-798-2299.

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Thanks you guys for all of your comments during such a hard time.  It is hard to see your own parents grieve for their parents.  The ceremony was beautiful and as funerals go, this was a good one.  Seeing my extended family all in one place was just the best thing ever.  I am blessed with so many cousins and aunts and uncles and they all were there.

With all that being said, this blog is back to it's scheduled program of art and yarn and kitting things.  Oh, yeah, and cats and dogs, and kiddos, and husbands.  The stuff of every day life, that I have craved for the last three weeks.  It's back.

We are now off to Aspen tomorrow morning with our friends from San Diego for no skiing.  That's right, that's what I said... NO skiing.  Byron (The Man) is not happy.  But, I spent today making Cranberry Sauce, and Sweet Potato Pie, and ordered a turkey to be delivered to the house in Aspen.  We are having a traditional Thanksgiving meal for the first time ever on our trips to Aspen for Thanksgiving.  We've been lucky and skied most of them, and have eaten at Wienerstube or at other local hangouts, but since we won't be skiing, I made the executive decision to cook. (except the turkey).  I CAN'T WAIT.....

So, on that note.  Get home, and hug the neck of a loved one. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
I'll see you when I get back...

...and that's all she wrote.

Integrity

My Grandad always said that his word was his handshake.  For him, it was all about integrity.

My little Irish 5' 5" Grandad had the best stories to tell.  When I'd ask him to come and swim with me, he'd always say, "I can't!  My swimsuit has a hole in the knee." And, when he'd catch all those tons of fish at Lake Powell, I'd sneak to the back of the boat and spill the pail of water and fish right back in the lake.  He'd say, "Now honey, you shouldn't 'ov gone an done that," and I'd smile that mischievous Mary-Kay smile.  When he'd take me fishing, I'd make him put on those wriggly, squirmy worms on the hook, and throw it on out into the water, just so's that sneaky 'ol catfish could eat it off right quick and then Grandad would have to start over again. 

His daddy grew up a dirt farmer, and so he grew up a dirt farmer, poor as could be, and had one picture of himself as a wee boy. It was of him, dressed in a nightshirt, so he'd always start his stories, "You know, back when I was a little girl....." (said in the most innocent of ways). And, you just knew something good was coming.

His wedding present from his brides father?  A cow and $5.  Amazing.

But, my very favorite story that my mom tells me about him is this:  One day a week, he would "go and visit the old folks,  to take them some food and some friendship."  Well, they were all in their 70's.  Grandad was in his 90's.  How's that for you.

Grandad bought the Coleman Lumber Yard in Jacksonville, TX on a handshake and said that his father taught him about Integrity.  It was really something to him that people kept their word.  Last week, in the hospital bed, laying flat on his back He told a story to me about his father and his integrity filled handshake with the men in his town. I can hardly write about it through all these tears. This is really a lesson to me, and my own integrity, and a lesson to my kids and their mother's integrity.

My grandad was the most content, gentle, happiest man I ever knew.  And, you know what?  That man had integrity.

                                                                    In Loving Memory of
                                                                 Herbert Coleman
                                                        Son, Father, Grandad, and Great-Grandad
                                                       The great patriarch of the Coleman Clan

A Hat for Kid 2....

...turned out to be a hat for Kid 1.  I made it too small for the giant headed Kid 2 (lotsa brains in that there head of hers).  So, Kid 1 gets an ultra soft hat, and Kid 2 will have a matching one.  Just bigger. I knit this in about 3 hours, with interruptions.  Not bad!

Info:
Yarn= Unikat by Zitron, color # 07 65539, 100 g., 160 m.
           Purchased for it's softness for Miss Kid 2's ultra sensitive skin towards wool.  This is an almost felted single spun yarn listed as 100% Merino new wool. It is very, very soft. 

Pattern= my own.  Can you believe it????? I just made it up as I went along.  I know all y'all have been doing this sort of thing forever, but this time I ( me, myself, and....) did it!!!! Very cool, if I do say so myself.  Har....

Used= 37 grams, with 60 grams left over for Kid 2's hat.  Should be more than enough.

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Have a GREAT day everyone, and if you get a chance, call your grandparents if you have any, or your parents, or, your fake aunt and uncle, and tell them how much you love them.  Can't do that?  send them a letter, with a photo of yourself included.  Don't have family?  Call or send it to someone who has made a significant difference in your life. You never know how much, or how little, time you have with them.  Please do it.  It'll make their day, and quite possibly yours. 

And, that is all she wrote.
 

Knitting Backwards Tutorial

So, I searched and searched and I found this great video on YouTube for how to knit backwards.  I can't embed it here in my blog but you can click here Knitting Backwards to go to the Knit Witch website, where I found all kinds of great knitting tutorials,and the one I was looking for.  The video is very clear, but shows it in English Knitting, not Continental, so you'll have to figure that part out if you are a Cont. knitter.  It's not hard, I'm doing it that way.

Anyway, Maybe I'll try to make a tutorial on the strange way I knit backwards Continental style, but until then, enjoy the current version!

Socks!
At the knitting retreat, my new friend Patti Bartell knit me these socks in exchange for some of my dyed yarn that she liked.  Hello, a win-win situation!  This woman can knit!  And, Fast!!! Thank you Patti!! 

[[[[[[How many more exclamation points can I put in here!  Should I stop?! Have I annoyed you yet???!!!! That is one of my pet-peeves that people do!  WAY to many exclamation points in one blog posting!  WAY TO MANY!!!!!  Ok, I'll stop now!  Really, I will!!!  OK, THAT'S ENOUGH!!!!!]]]]]]]]

YARN
I've been trying to catch up on my dying lately.  Now, I have to do the darn re-skeining. Darn it all. And, that's just half of it..... sigh......


And, that's all she wrote.

Lady E Progress and a cute baby

Lady Elenore (from Scarf Style).  She is a fun knit, fast, and addicting.  This knitting backwards really has changed my way of knitting.  I just might never purl again. If I can find a reason not to purl and hurt my wrist - I will do it.

And, the back of Lady E.  It's a a stormy sea out by the pool.  It's the storm before the calm. Stormy.  Heh.

And, now for the cute baby. This is my cousin's baby. Michelle and I grew up together and were very best friends.  We are so opposite it's funny.  She is quiet, introspective, thoughtful, funny (but doesn't know it), gentle, unassuming.  And, as all of you know, I am NONE of those things.  The two of us made quite a pair.  I could take a few lessons from her.  I guess she might say, she might want to do the same.  Who knows.

So, this is Baby M.  Stunning, perfect, and sooooooo cute!  Her big brothers won't let her alone. 

And here is the cutest yawn you ever did see...

Thanks for all the comments you guys.  For some reason Typepad won't send me all the comments by email, so those of you that I got emails from I tried to email back.  If it didn't notify me, I don't know how to comment back to you.  So, thank you so much for your emails and comments everyone. It means a lot to me.

And, that is all she wrote......

I'm home

Things in Jacksonville, TX aren't so good. I'd have to say that was one of the hardest things I've ever done, or seen in my life.    I had a few moments of that "ugly" crying.  No one should live their last moments like this.  My dad had to calm me down.  I could NEVER be a nurse.  EVER.  Or a doctor.  It would be my ultimate nightmare. I'll save you the gory details.  Grandad is still alive, but the stroke really, really, really, knocked him down.  I think I don't want to get old. I'm waiting on pins and needles to get THAT phone call.  You know the one.  It comes at 2:00AM and wakes you out of a sound sleep and scares the sh*t out of you. 

On a lighter note, I did get a lot of knitting done on Lady Elenore in the hospital and in my aunt and uncle's house.  Although, now I'm stuck at a really strange part (left leaning rectangle), and I have knit this part many times before, but I think my mind is in rebellion.  I'm tired. I haven't slept in about 5 days.  I do that when I'm stressed. 

Maybe I'll see some of you tonight at Knit Knack and the rest of you at Colorful Yarns on Friday.  I sure hope so.  I'm sad and depressed. And, I can't get motivated. I need some laughing right now. The hard kind.