flower

Change of scenery

Posted on by Dan

Just thought I’d give you something more pleasing to look at than a photo of my chest with tubes hanging out (of course, you can still see this if you continue to read the previous post, but at least it won’t be front and center).

Peony

These were taken the other day. It’s peony season in our yard right now.

Peony

It’s also round #2 of bunny season in our yard. I did my best to sneak up on this little guy without startling him/her too much. I was successful only long enough to snap the picture, and then all that was visible was a little white cotton ball disappearing into the bushes.

Baby Bunny

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Renewal

Posted on by Dan

After being sprung from the hospital on Tuesday, I was greeted in our yard by all manner of spring things in the process of renewal. As the days wore on during this last stay, I had a feeling I would miss out on the most exciting time of the year (as far as our yard is concerned). Granted, I did miss out on the crab apple and most of the tulips, but there are still enough reminders around me to illustrate the ever-growing and renewing side of nature. I feel a bit more compelled this year to take that all in, to appreciate it just a bit more, and to let it translate to my own body. Spring is the time for overcoming odds, for taking the energy that has been stored for the past 5 months (or 8 if you live in Minnesota) and converting it to something like this:

Hostas

Tulips

Snowball Verbenum

Iris

I have one more round of chemotherapy to go (fingers crossed) — most likely to start in two weeks or so. But, I am encouraged and renewed by the sight of these things.

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Up a Notch

Posted on by Dan

It’s a new year, complete with resolutions and renewed resolve for cultivating our creative outlets. And, I’ve taken steps in providing better photos for sharing some of the results. A better camera does not make a better photographer, but it does help in providing more tools and control for capturing images in an interesting way. What’s exciting is that I can dust off the old lenses I had for my first SLR, a Pentax K1000 that I bought 17 years ago. And, I’m happy to report the ol’ lenses work just fine with the new Pentax digital SLR (a brilliant decision on their part). The following photographs were taken with a completely manual 50mm lens. There is something satisfying about meshing old and new technology and coming up with good results.

Kalanchoe

This Kalanchoe, a new year’s gift (thank you!), was just waiting to show off a little.

Quilt - detail

This is one of Virginia’s quilts she made a number of years ago (yes, she does other non-knitting activities).

Sock #32 (52 Sock Challenge)

And, since you are so used to seeing socks on the blog, I didn’t want to disappoint.

Sock #32 (52 Sock Challenge) - detail

Virginia knit these using Trekking XXL (Turtlegirl, you might remember swapping this yarn with her), and modified a cable sock pattern by Nancy Bush.

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Playing Catch-up

Posted on by Dan

It’s really quite astounding how quickly time sneaks by. There are several crafty updates that I want to share before the next round of goodies (which are finished — just waiting their turn in front of the camera).

I’ve finished spinning the 12 oz. of Corriedale (dyed four colors in 3 oz chunks). You may recall earlier posts (here and here), charting the progress. It really wasn’t that big of a project, it just took me a long time to finish.

Handspun - Corriedale

Handspun - Corriedale

These are also 3 oz. skeins with approximately 300 yards a piece. In total I have about 1,300 yards of 2-ply yarn in four colors that could very well work together, or on their own. No project in mind, yet…

Virginia wrapped up another pair of socks. This time using a stitch pattern from the book “Sensational Knitted Socks” and knitting with three colors of ShiBui yarn.

Sock #16 (52 Sock Challenge)

A few more pair nearly fell off the radar because I have been so slow in updating this blog.

Sock #15 (52 Sock Challenge)

Sock #14 (52 Sock Challenge)

Last, but certainly not least, Virginia celebrated her birthday last week.

Bouquet

Nothing brightens the home like the last flowers of the farmer’s market season.

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Lots of Goodies

Posted on by Dan

Despite our house being in chaotic limbo (we’re putting the finishing touches on our bathroom) the craftiness must go on. And, we’ll both represent in this post (as well as our yard).

Socks-a-Plenty
Virginia wrapped up two more pairs of socks.

vknit_socks_92

These are from her never-ending supply of Meilenweit.

vknit_socks_93

And, these are knit from Socks that Rock lightweight from Blue Moon Fibers (sorry, I can’t remember what colorway I bought for her — ’twas a long-ago birthday present).

Yes, That’s Spinning Below
I debated posting this freshly-spun yarn, since I still have 9 more ounces of this Corriedale that I dyed up in four three-ounce segments. But, since they are all very different in color, I’ll post them individually. Once they are all spun up I’ll probably revisit them as a group for a single project.

Handspun - Corriedale

This is a single skein. There are approximately 319 yards of 2-ply yarn from 3 oz. of top.

Garden Delights
Our yard is pushing through the various floral stages, with new surprises practically every day. We are fortunate to have plenty, so bringing some indoors to enjoy makes hardly a dent on the supply outside.

Lily of the Valley

Our neighbors think this shade-loving ground cover is a nuisance and keep whacking away at the ones encroaching on their property. We, however, love the Lilies of the Valley. Grass is sooo over-rated.

Iris

And, I think the Irises are early this year. These come and go quickly, so we really have to be present and enjoy them while they bloom. I love how intricate these flowers are, and have tried to capture that in this close-up photo.

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