September Launch into a New Crafting Season!

While searching for the autumn-themed crafts I knit a few years ago, I discovered I had just stuffed one pumpkin I knit with a big ball of yarn rather than finish it off properly.  Somehow the pumpkin also had two holes!  

A needle, yarn, and stuffing were found, and my rescue mission began...

Thankfully I was able to mend the holes, stuff the pumpkin, get it seamed and enjoy the process and result!

Unexpectedly, one September day on my doorstep, I found a wonderful box of gifts I had won from Camellia Fiber Co....a lovely card,

these beautiful mini skeins of yarn...

and this lovely handspun skein of yarn.  Now my mind is dreaming of what I may make with the yarn...

The gifts helped me resist the temptation of buying more yarn at the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in Canby, Oregon, a bit south of where I live.

My youngest daughter took this photo of me with our dear friends we arranged to meet at the festival.

We saw many quiet llamas.

We saw many beautiful quiet bunnies.

We saw many interesting sheep, but some were not quiet so their barn was lively with sometimes startling "Baaaas!"

The exhibit of felted entries contained a unique felted journal someone who had visited Scotland had made.

The journal did not win a ribbon, but I gave it my People's Choice Award!

On Thursday nights I am knitting a preemie blanket in a group of knitters I was invited to join. Wednesday mornings I am crocheting another preemie blanket, and I have a crocheted potholder project I carry around in the pocket of my purse to work on when I can. At the once a month art group I attend, the facilitator showed us a clever way to transfer a letter design we like onto art paper.

Have you launched into a new crafting season?


Gracie xx

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

 As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday...

 Jason and Mary posted this birth announcement photo of themselves with Sarah on facebook!  We are so thankful that Sarah has safely arrived and has already been decked out with a crocheted hat that G'ma Bev lovingly crocheted with a pretty pink flower on it :)

 We are in the midst of our first big cold snap of the Fall, so I took a photo of the last blossoms on one of the hanging fuchsia plants and brought in most of the geranium plants from the window box to winter inside.

 When I looked at this photo on the computer I laughed when I saw my plastic snowman on the windowsill :)  Rosie had dunked him in my indoor fountain and Mary and I rescued him.  He had been hanging out in a bowl and then one day I perched him on the windowsill to supervise our activities.  Down to the right of the flower pot you can see the last of the sun gold cherry tomatoes I picked to ripen inside...the plant has since been thoroughly frost bitten.

 Last Friday was clear and bright and I got this photo after swimming with Teresa in the pool at the gym off of Burnside and Civic Drive at around 3:30PM.  It still amazes me to see Mt. Hood...from any angle!

 By the time I was almost home after shopping the light had changed so much when I stopped at the corner of Waybill and Orient Drive to take this photo.  You photographer bloggers continue to bring my attention to the difference that light makes in our photos...and I am thinking of your observations more frequently as I point and shoot :)

 Sunday morning at the corner of 212 and 232nd I stopped to get this view of Mt. Hood at about 11:00AM...in a different light setting.

 Then look what I saw as I drove by our pond!  Not only is the pond full of water, but we have some visiting wood ducks!

 As usual they hear me and my zoom lens and swim away leaving me with some interesting views of their tail feathers.

 Last year I started knitting this pumpkin with Taci and I finished knitting it the other day, but still have not felted it.  It will be the first project that I have intentionally felted and I will post the results...eventually. Taci has started a new project for her Etsy shop.  She is selling kits for, and finished, kitchen towels to seasonally decorate our kitchens.  I have bought a kit...I love her designs.

So the pumpkin I have yet to felt is nestled in a basket with the pumpkins and squash I crocheted a few years ago...

and I am nestled with my family and full of thanks as I look at Molly holding her baby doll and Hayley holding her new little sister, Sarah, and my oldest daughter in her Mama Bear T-shirt supervising and Joy taking it all in.  They are protected in the shadows in this photo as they learn more about loving each other.  I loved seeing them and the light coming through our ironed leaves hanging in the window. Sweet and precious times.... I'm wishing you sweet and precious times. Will you tell me some of your stories of happy thanksgiving?

xx
Gracie