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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Out of the Trees

Back from a recent camping trip with Nature Boy, Ms. Knitsburgh feels rested and re-connected with the universe. Here are some highlights of the trip:
The lake:
Spores!
Little hop-toad:
No balloon but found the note:
Fuzzy caterpillar:
Salamander!

As you can see, some knitting was accomplished. I turned the heel of Sock #1 in Pair O'Sox. Now on to the toe...at this rate, I hope they are finished before flip flop season begins anew!


So I recently joined up with Ravelry. I "applied" back in March but never responded to the invite and decided to finally get in the door and see what the fuss is all about. Holy crikey! I've been in Ravelry almost non-stop. Why did I not listen to the whispers and rumors about the super goodness of it all? The patterns, the patterns, the patterns! Seems someone there stole my name from me. If you are on Ravelry, you can find me listed under "Knitsburgher." Friend me up!
In other news, I've been gathering flower seeds and tomato seeds in preparation for the Spring. It's been getting much colder here and is much darker in the morning when I wake up. It can only mean one thing...winter is at the doorstep. I like the turning of the wheel and the seasons changing and all that, but I'm sorry, I much prefer warm and hot weather than cold. And if it's gonnna be cold there better be snow covering everything.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Merry Harvest Moon!

To learn more, click http://www.earthsky.org/.
Go outside and look up already!!!

Friday, September 12, 2008

Bad Vegan!!!

Being a vegan isn't as hard as one might think. On most days. Here is my sordid confession of my downfall.

It all happened at Irish Fest. I was happily enjoying a plain baked potato. No butter, no sour cream for this staunch vegan. I was walking across the lawn to join Nature Boy who was eating lots of different animals in a bowl. And then I saw it.

My clan's tie. Hanging on a display in the back of a vendor booth. It called my name, I swear it.

I walked closer, fingered the fabric and shuddered. I knew it but had to look. Damn it was wool! I swear my ancestors whispered in my ear, get this, wear this, be proud of this. And so I faltered, purchasing this tie of wool. I tell myself, I will wear it and pass it down and if my sisters don't have kids, I'll ask them to tie it 'round my neck for the wake.

And you thought I ate a steak or something, didn't you? Pshaw!!!

So here is the new McPherson clan tie, in the dress tartan. I could not bring myself to don the hunting tartan, you see. Also hanging with it is my latest sewing project, a long shirt. In the background, note the newest addition to our family, a happy fern I call Reilly. She hangs too high up for evil Madison Penelope to destroy her. She did try for some time to get to her, then ran off to forge some other evil plan of destruction.


Here is Sock #1 in the Pair O'Sox, stretched over the kittens' Oral Hygiene Solution bottle so you can see the pattern a little better. It's from a former Interweave Knits pattern.


On the knitting topic, I seem to knit things from Interweave Knits all the time. The other publication I subscribe to, Vogue Knitting, usually doesn't inspire me so much. Sadly, I can't not re-subscribe and just did so this week...I think I need more strength to resist here. Anyone else have this problem? I really think Vogue Knitting sucks but can't let it go.

I leave you with some of my last flowers and some shots from the garden, highlighting the heirloom tomatos we grow from seed each year. Nature Boy and I are off for more camping this weekend and I hope we don't spend the whole time a soggy tent while it pours out there...



Thursday, September 04, 2008

Recap

So here I write as I wait for NKOTB to appear on the Today show.

Where have I been, you ask?

Everywhere!

First, we went here:




Old Home's Day with Nature Boy's Family. I had a great time, despite preparing myself for agony. A long weekend with all of his clan in a tiny home where you can't flush the toilet because you have to conserve the well water does not ordinarily make for the best of conditions. However, it was fun and I think I might even go back next year! Oh, I won a flower arrangement and a plastic shelving unit too.

Next, we went to the woods! Camping! I seem to have lost these pictures during the Great Computer Crash of 2008. We missed the blueberries by a week or two, I'd say. We hiked through the forest and saw many different birds. I startled a deer and he startled me with a loud noise, like a grunty-huffy noise, before he ran. We also got to hear and see a bajillion bullfrogs on the lake at night while a gorgeous full moon floated above in the sky with all the stars. We made yummy food over the campfire and stayed up late soaking in the night around us.

Lastly, we came here:




Back to the beach. It was good, it was bad. It was enlightening. The ocean was beautiful and on the last day, we dove down under the water with Nature's Boys Dollar Store facemask (which works suprisingly well) and peered face to face with many diffent fish, blue crabs and skates. I came back feeling closer to someone I'd felt estranged from, but newly estranged from one I have always had a bond with. We are very glad we went and got to spend a week on the shore and fling ourselves into the waves again!

So what have I been up to since my return to Knitsburgh? I've been sewing a bit, sadly, not knitting very much though. I guess I'm in a knitting slump. I'm still on Sock #1 from the Pair O'Sox. I will post some pics of my sewing perhaps tomorrow. I'm working on laundry, then shower, then grocery shopping before I go to work at noon. I am not sleeping well of late and have a bit of a cold so I am exhausted right now.

Oh, special thanks to our fantastical neighbor for spending hours fixing our old, tired computer!!! We cannot express our thanks enough (although I still yearn for that sweet little blue wireless laptop...).