Mother’s Day hike, 2011

which actually took place on Saturday, May 7 this year.  DH chose the profile trail of the Grandfather Mountain area.  The grandfather’s face here below was captured from a Blue Ridge Parkway overlook near the Linn Cove Viaduct.  Since the viaduct was specially constructed to minimize destruction of wildlife habitat on Grandfather Mountain, I must assume that this is some other grandfather.

bearded old man mountain

The part of the Grandfather Mountain area where we were walking is known as the backcountry.  It has been acquired by the NC State Parks system and there is no charge to park and hike here. There is a shelter at the trailhead where hikers are required to fill out a form for a permit.

Profile Trail Trailhead Shelter

We only hiked perhaps 3/4 mile, partially because we arrived late in the day, and partially because I had to stop so many times to take pictures, but mostly because we’re an out of shape bunch who can only hike straight up for so long. The part of the trail I saw was beautiful, and easily walkable, and so many flowers were in bloom.

these pretty blue ones were everywhere!

lots of these, and these:

little meadows full of these!

another shot of the blue ones:

so pretty!

and the only trillium I saw, which was missing a petal, which I guess makes it only a billium:

a billium, I guess

perhaps it is late in the season for these at this altitude? But it was that pretty anyway, so I included the picture. This tree is valiantly clinging to the bank of the Watauga River, which has been trying to undercut it for who knows how long:

amazing perseverance

and this one was probably split by lightning. They are both wonderful examples of the amazing perseverance of nature.

still undefeated

a gossamer-winged damselfly sitting on a rock by the river:

damselfly

this fallen tree with its silver bark and lichen encrustations is begging to be a yarn colorway, don’t you think?

lichen and silver

and this stump with its fungus fans just has to be a fairy castle:

fairy castle

I’m loving this tradition of the Mother’s Day walk in the woods. I hope there are many more.

To Eyre . . . is divine!

That is to say, both Carol Sunday’s knitting pattern, and the most recent Jane Eyre movie are divine.

The story in the movie is very abbreviated, of course, with only two hours to work with, but everything in it is just right.  In tone, look, and overall feel, this movie accomplishes a match to the imaginative reader’s experience better than that of any other adaptation I have seen.  I’ve seen at least half a dozen.  One website lists more than 40 film and TV adaptations.  The best match to Jane Eyre the book has to be the 1983 mini-series with Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke.  That one was told over 11 episodes, for a total of 239 minutes.  Cary Fukunaga, in 120 minutes, captures Jane Eyre in all her gothic/horrorific/mysterious/romantic/sexy/snarky fun.  To quote the NYT review, “reader, I liked it.”

There is no evidence to support the existence of a short row garter stitch hand knitted shawl in 1847, but I like to think that the Rivers sisters would have been clever enough to have knitted this up from local handspun wool, and lent it to Jane after she dropped onto their doorstep in rags.  In this movie, Jane wore it while gardening, cleaning out a hearth, and other such dirty tasks.  Such a garment would not likely have survived into the present, as it would have been worn until it was a rag, and then likely gone to the rubbish heap.  I wore my Jane inspired shawl in the slightly over-air-conditioned theater.  It was warm and comfy, and resembles hers, but is much larger.

On an obliging model:

To Eyre, by Carol Sunday, Version 1, the larger

On a hanger padded with a towel, while blocking:

To Eyre, blocking

I’m already very fond of it, and likely to wear it to rags myself.

To Eyre . . .

So there’s a new Jane Eyre movie, which I’m so dying to see, should it ever come to my benighted viewing area.  In a featurette, Jane can be seen wearing this shawl.

another view:

In glorious Ravelry tradition, there is of course a KAL (knitalong)  for projects inspired by this movie costume garment.  I’m knitting To Eyre, a pattern Carol Sunday whomped up in no time flat.  I so want to be her.  My Eyre shawl is being knitted in Cascade 220, smoke blue, on size 8 needles.  I’ve just started it today, and it’s going well.

In other good news, I took a few good pictures of azaleas and such before last weekend’s storms made them look a bit raggledy.  These are on flickr, and in full size they are suitable for 1600 x 900 windows wallpaper.  please feel free to grab them if you like them.

pink azalea wallpaper

deep pink azalea wallpaper

pink and white azalea wallpaper

dogwood wallpaper

jonquil wallpaper

Please have a Happy (insert spring festival of your choice).  For me it’s Easter.

no dancing here

Seen outside Darry’ls wood fired grill restaurant on a recent night which was far too chilly for dancing outside.

 

See the small figure inside the red circle with diagonal bar?  The familiar “no” symbol?  Does this mean “no dancing on firepit”?  We all recognize Smokey the Bear, and realize there’s to be no smoking here, of any sort, I suppose.  Soon no drinking, and no talking.  (Thank you Eddie Izzard).  That seems sort of sad, but I guess the management can’t be blamed for not wanting the customers to dance on this inviting elevated platform.  At least until they have a chance to post the “watch out for falling drunk dancers” sign.  le sigh.

Set aside the forbidden spontaneous expressions of joy, the recent remodeling leaves Darryl’s looking still very familiar, with improvements to the exterior (including the new firepits) and to the flow path of customers once inside the door.  I think the upstairs restrooms are new too.  That may be my favorite improvement.  The menu includes many old favorites and some fun new stuff too.  Like s’mores.  For the firepits, I guess.

The menu says that “at its peak, Darryl’s had 39 restaurants operating in nine states.”  The first time I visited a Darryl’s was in 1976, on Chapel Hill Blvd between Durham and Chapel Hill.  That same night in that same place, I was introduced to the salad bar.  This, to a starving student, was a miraculous concept.  I must have made at least four trips.  Who needed an entree?  Thirty-some odd years later, Greensboro has the last Darryl’s restaurant.  I still love the fun decor.  Two booths look like elevators.  Another is a ferris wheel seat.  There is a carousel horse.  The renovation included expanding the “jail” area, so that more diners can eat behind bars at any given time.  What’s not to like?

I think we’ll be regular visitors to this old/new favorite restaurant.

New Year’s Eve, I’m unresolved.

The blizzard is mostly melted and gone, the Christmas tree is packed away and on the curb for disposal, the leftovers are even gone.  Christmas 2010 is a ghost, 2010 is a few hours away from being a memory, and here we on the the eve of the new year.

This was a first for 2010:

That’s a pretty wicked icicle for Piedmont NC!  It got started on an icicle-shaped light bulb, and went on to its own magnificence.  Just as I usually start with a kernel of an idea, and then let creativeness grow the way it will.  So I am unresolved, but inspired.  Thank you winter blizzard!

I love a reading gift

There’s a beautifully illustrated book about a girl and her mouse doll.

Phoebe’s Sweater is written by Joanna Johnson, illustrated by Eric Johnson, indie published by their company Slate Falls Press, and has knitting patterns for a girl sweater, mouse doll and dress, and doll sweater. Irresistable, right? Definitely.

Here’s my Phoebe’s Sweater in size 2:

and a closeup of the buttons:

 

The buttons came from JoAnn, and I’ve stacked the smaller pink butterfly button onto a round white button to frame it and make it a suitable size for the buttonholes. I do like the effect, and the pink is the exact shade of the yarn in the Phoebe mouse doll and her dress:

 

which makes the whole set coordinate harmoniously.  A sweater for the doll completes the set:

 

throw in a copy of the book, and there’s an unforgettable gift for a small girl and her reading, knitting, parent to share.  I’m sad to part with the book myself, though. I’ll have to buy another one.

Merlin helped me knit them all:

 

He works for ear scritches, and a biscuit now and then. Good doggie.

snow!!!

Do you have any idea how unusual this is where I live? Before Christmas? This much?

 

While this was falling, we had a fire in the fireplace, we put up the Christmas tree, and hung up our stockings.  I am so much more in the Christmas mood now than I was yesterday.  Going to bed now, hoping for visions of sugarplums dancing in my head.

having fun with pinterest

here’s my fledgling gift guide board:

I really have to stop messing with this and get some of my life done today!!

a hat for carmen banana

Carmen Banana is not your usual sock monkey.  She comes as a kit from Knit Picks with a wardrobe to die for.  After I knit Carmen, her fancy panties, and a dress for a night out on the town, her outfit just did not look quite put together without a topper.  Long ago, I promised a pattern on my ravelry project page, and at last, here it is.

In Knit Picks Stroll yarn and at a gauge of 8 stitches and 10 rows to the inch in stockinette, this pattern will yield a hat that is 7 inches in circumference.

Use the circular knitting method of your choice.  I knit this little hat using Magic Loop on a 32” circular needle in the same size I used for Carmen.

Using the cable cast on technique and main color, cast on 56 stitches.  Place a marker for beginning of round and k1p1 rib for 4 rounds.  Knit in stockinette for 9 rounds.  Begin decrease rounds:

1. *ssk, k5*
2. knit
3. *ssk, k4*
4. knit
5. *ssk, k3*
6. knit
7. *ssk, k2*
8. knit
9. *ssk, k1*
10. ssk 8 times
11. ssk 4 times

Break yarn leaving a 10” tail. With a tapestry needle pull yarn through all stitches, pull tight, pull tail to inside, weave end in and cut.

For the flower, cast on 60 stitches in contrast color, knit front and back in each stitch, knit one row, loosely cast off, leaving a long tail.  Coil the knitting, securing with the yarn tail.  Sew to the hat.

The shape of Carmen’s head is such that she will lose this hat unless you secure it to her head, either by sewing, or with a tiny safety pin on the inside, as I did.

download the pdf:  Hat with Flower for Sock Monkey or Doll

 

sew a little something

Feels so good to be back in my sewing room.  This project took maybe 2 hours total in actual stitchout and assemble time.  I spent much more than that browsing the internet for free machine embroidery designs. The winner? Found at embroiderydesigns.com.  The name and corner decoration were created in Husqvarna Viking 5D Embroidery Extra software for embroidery sewing machine.  Short story long, I was gifted with a nav device for my birthday.  It’s the sleekest, slimmest, smartest, coolest nav ever.  It used to have a sleek and luxurious leather slip case.  I think that slip case got left in the parking lot of a rest area between Greensboro and Asheville NC when it slipped surreptitiously from my car as I got out to stretch my legs.  Sleek, slim, smart, sneaky little s**t .  The nav itself is 4.8″W x 2.9″H x .35″D (12.2 x 7.5 x .89 cm) in size.  The case is roughly 3 3/8″ by 5 3/8″.  The original treeglobe embroidery design measures 9.42″ x 5.85″.  The 5D software automatically adjusts stitch density when you resize,  which is amazing, for those of us who remember what it was like to try and adjust it ourselves.  If you’re one too, you know what I’m talking about.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, feel blessed because the software is so much better now, and you’ll never need to know how to do this.

what does it mean?

I’d love to know the backstory on this design.  If you do know it, please leave me a comment.  It’s an extraordinary and beautiful design, and such a treat because it’s a free download.  I think the critter climbing the tree is a squirrel.  If you have a better guess, please tell me.  It’s an applique design, which means it pauses the machine so you can put fabric down for the globe background, and then again to cut around the stitched down fabric.  Seriously cool, huh?

I measured and estimated, and designed the case to be hooped all at once.  The name and the corner decoration were created in the 5D monogram wizard.

personalized

Here’s how it is arranged in the hoop:

template image

I put gold quilting cotton with tear-away stabilizer in the hoop, and then basted all around just inside the hoop.  Push the start button and the machine does the rest.  You can tell I’m only mostly southern, because I said “push” the button instead of “mash” the button.  You can mash it if you are more comfortable with that.  I took the finished embroidery out of the hoop and layered it with quilt batting and a backing piece of cotton print.  I did not remove the stabilizer.  I basted the quilt sandwich together around the edge.

the pattern outline

Now the grunt work:

Thin satin stitch all round on the pink and turquoise lines with rayon embroidery thread in upper thread and bobbin.  Cut just outside the stitching.  Wider satin stitch overcast on the pink line.  Fold right sides out, lining sides together along the longer blue dotted line.  Wider satin stitch overcast on the turquoise lines.  Make a button loop by satin stitching over piping cord.  Attach it at the flap point by zigzag stitching.  Put a little fray check here and there. Sew on a button.  Do a neater job of satin stitching over your cord than I did!

okay, so it's a little messy

and a peek at the print for the lining, since I matched the colors for the embroidery:

insert nav here

I’m more than pleased with the result.  I might even like it just a wee bit more than the sleek, slim, smart leather case that slipped surreptitiously away when I wasn’t looking.  Call it serendipity.

For those that are still with me, a reward recipe I wrote for my bread machine:

cinnamon bread

This bread has a great springy texture and is dense but not heavy.  It makes great french toast, but let it soak a little longer than usual.  Adding the flax seed makes it rich in omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, and fiber. My kids like it spread with smart butter, ’cause we just can’t get enough lignans, sprinkled with brown sugar splenda mix and dusted with yet a little more cinnamon, then lightly toasted.  I hope you will enjoy it.

click here to downloadcinnamon bread recipe pdf