bean&noodle

Last Weekend

Last weekend looked like this...

hands down, my favorite place to knit

and my favorite little buddy to knit with

i made this

and this

and finished these

Here's hoping for more of the same this weekend. My husband is sick today, and I'm feeling a bit iffy too, so perhaps just the knitting part would do.

I'm almost done with this great beret pattern from Churchmouse Yarns & Teas and though I've cast on for Topiary in a lovely blue green wool, I think I mayswing by Hill Country Weavers right now to pick up an oatmealy Berroco Vintage so that the stitches will be more pronounced. Yep, that' sexactly what I'm gonna do. I'm not normally a big fan of a wool/acrylic blend, but this yarn is really great.

off to the yarn store! 

peachy goodness

My neighbor offered these up this morning as a trade for some of our plums. Deal! So now I will be making both plummy and peachy things during my staycation. Speaking of which, I have now compiled a list of things I'd like to do next week, but may just opt for numbers 8 & 12.

Berries and Banjos

My mother's banjo is getting a little TLC before I learn to play. Come join me at Cold Antler Farm. Don't you think Banjo Berry would be a great name for a blackberry anything? That does it... April will be the month I create Banjo Berry Pie.

Potatoes

Strawberries

Blackberries

I always knew one was looming in my future...

Last week, I finally got this 20" loom and had my first lesson at Yarnorama.

Behold... my first warp. My left hand selvage took a bit of work to get right, but it will get better. Lord knows my first knitted items were not my finest. Just ask my husband about the first pair of socks I knit for him. They had that perfect 80's slouchiness that I used to wear with my pink Reeboks to aerobics class. He did not fancy them.

This yarn has such an amazing sheen to it. It's amazing to me that the same yarn I used for these socks creates such a remarkably different fabric when woven. For the time being it's leaning against a bench in the studio, think I'll pick up the stand this week.

Burying the lead....

Sunday we drove with friends a few miles down the highway to Carmine for a little treasure hunting. Treasures were indeed found, some tin types, counter cards and a green McCoy planter. DH really wanted to go in a shop that was closed, so he called the owner to come open up. Sure, it was a great shop but I was happy enough with my finds, and quite frankly ready to head home. I was headed for the front porch and about tripped over this...

A Kelsey Excelsior Mercury model 3 x 5 Table Top Letterpress. I am sure I stammered a bit as I walked with the shop owner as he hauled it up to the counter so I could take a better look. It was pretty hard to contain myself... and yep, I know how incredibly geeky that sounds. After a bit of WD-40, she was fully operational. Her rollers need to be redone, but the chase, quoins and ink plate are still intact and seem in good condition. Anyone who knows me well, knows I have wanted one of these forlikeever. Ever since I first walked through the doors of Hatch Show Print about 13 years ago, on a cross country road trip with my sister Jessica, I knew I wanted to print.

and then there's the Baby Elton...

My friend Susanne and I took this workshop this past Saturday, with Stephanie Rubiano. So many ideas have been rolling through my mind since. I will show you the finished house when it's all stitched up.

Seriously, I had vacation time to use up and I manged to spend my time doing just what I wanted. I took a weaving lesson, finally painted the front posts and under the fur-downs in the kitchen, took an amazing workshop with my BFF, planted strawberries, blackberries, and more. I also managed to squeeze in some freelance work. I've been busy indeed, but busy is great when it's doing what you love.

one potato two potato

yep, my first home-grown potatoes evah! Cannot WAIT to plant a ginormous amount next time.

Flora & Fauna

Oregon Grape Mahonia aquifolium
There is no good reason why this plant is loving life in my Central Texas courtyard, being that it is the state flower of freaking Oregon, but it is.

Blackfoot Daisy Melampodium leucanthum
Drought & heat tolerant... attracts butterflies

Bloodgood Japanese Maple Acer palmatum
Loved this so much we went back to the nursery the following day to buy another one of these

Maisy Blue Canis lupis familiaris
Needs lots of water & kisses

Those Damn Biscuits, a Blanket & a Noodle

Remember these? I couldn't get them out of my mind, so I made some. While these were indeed yummy, I will cut the salami into much smaller pieces next time.... these were great but a bit more rustic than i hoped for. I will also try them with ham and cheddar.

I harvested so many collards and mustard greens I had to give a bunch away. These were amazing.

Another Moderne Log Cabin on the needles, knit in lovely woolly heathers.

and the sweet kitty Noodle (one of this blogs namesakes). Noodle will be 13 this March, and while he has slowed down a wee bit, he's still a tiger. I love his h(ears).

The Plot Thickens...

Cannot for the life of me remember what kind of tomatoes I planted. I just picked all heirlooms with the coolest color descriptions... We'll wait and see

and the mimosa is showing off all this week

View from the front porch 4/15/09

Evidence of a weekend spent planting seeds. Sunday I sat down with a cup of coffee, graph paper and a new copy of Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholemew and mapped out my spring garden. I didn't actually grid off my garden as the author suggests and am using my compost rich organic soil, but did follow the plants per Square foot guidelines... I mean, for Pete's sake, I can eyeball a square foot.

Only one sleeve to go on my February Lady Sweater.

What's up next? Either

Leisl
Diminishing Rib
#286 Bulky Shrug

cluck cluck

 

I know, I know...I've said this before, but this time I just may mean it! I still worry about my high strung Catahoula making mince meat out of one of the gals... but I think that I just need to try it. If there is blood, we'll build a funeral pyre and I can always deconstruct the coop/run to fashion a larger compost arena. The thought of walking out back in my jammies and scooping up blue/green and café au lait hued eggs makes me so dizzy that I am willing to set my fear aside and see if Callie Jo can be trusted.

at lunch I ran out to buy some Robin Eggs because I do not have children to steal them from. Easter just isn't Easter without hurting my tongue on these little buggers.