Happy Belated 4th of July

Happy Belated 4th of July... Hope you all had a blast!!

Photos taken by M during Red White and Boom

kitty: Will you remember me in maytime??

Maytime always makes me think of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy and my grandparents... Some of my happiest childhood memories are watching Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy movies with my grandparents and mom.

.... Will you remember me in maytime? Happy May Day!

kitty: Mia's socks are all boxed up.... finally

Name: Concentric Preppy Socks for Mia Designer: Carissa Browning Pattern : Concentric Socks Fiber: Unknown Needle: 2.25mm

If I think back it really has been a long time since I have actually knit a pair of socks. I think I just got really burned out when I was trying to knit a pair of socks a week for the 52 pair sock pack. That was a totally insane goal and I can not believe that I actually got as far as I did. The reality of a project like that is that you don't end up enjoying anything you are working on. It becomes a part time job. When I asked Mia what she wanted for Christmas though, she asked for a new pair of socks. So I wanted to find an unusual pattern, something that would hopefully break the burnout. I think this one may be pushing the edge of unusual though. I really love the concept and they are a super fast knit. But I ended up with a lot of odd gathers along the bias. I am really hoping that with wear it will work itself out. They have been done for awhile, but I just finally boxed them up to send them out to her. Best laid plans of mice and men.

kity: my mind was plotting in the wee hours of Boxing Day

Hope everyone had an amazing boxing day. Mine started out rather oddly. You know that dream state where your mind is wide awake but technically you are still sounds asleep? Well my mind had an idea to get up instantly to sew a skirt. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't turn my mind off or even get it to stop running through fabric combinations, skirt shapes, and designs. So this was essentially what my mind wanted me to do on Boxing day.
Skirt Shape	Fabric that would need to be created
Base Skirt Colour (Though probably a little bit darker, but in a lightweight linen wool)	Fabrics used for the geometric patterns. Though I would need a lot more yellow and red and solids. (Quarters were bought from a friend's amazing fabric destash)
As you can imagine my mind did not win, since I doubt there was a fabric store open on sunday locally that would have come close to being able to match the treasures from Australia. Nor does anyone sell real linen locally even in the summer. My mind hadn't done that in a long time, that was how my creative processes use to work when it came to design. But I guess my mind hasn't been so relaxed in awhile or maybe it was the Nyquil/fever haze since I have been really sick.
I did get a little spinning in yesterday and a little plying since all my bobbins are full. Happy Belated Boxing Day!

kitty: special meal.... sorry no knitting content today

iphone photos

Shallots, Garlic, Ginger slices, Basil & Chicken placed in a steamer with aged shitake mushroom soy sauce, and Taiwanese Cooking wine. Steamed for 90 minutes.

Noodles and bean sprouts boiled for a few minutes then shaken until done. Added to a plate of cucumbers, carrots, green zebra tomatoes, chicken thigh, bean sprouts and noodles.

All mixed together with a little of the sauce from the steamer and roster sauce. And for desert, peach with cucumber sake sherbet, mango juice, and gum drops.

kitty: Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day... Thank you to all those who have served our country so that we have the liberties and freedoms we enjoy today.

Photos taking at the Field of Heroes

kitty: Happy Ada Lovelace Day

	Dear Programmers... Have you hugged your favorite fiber artist today to thank there craft for lending itself to the skill set needed for the FIRST COMPUTER PROGRAMER, Ada Lovelace a weaver and mathematician??? Happy Ada Lovelace Day, “an international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in technology and science”. Woman in science have long been undervalued for their achievements. So today it the day to raise awareness of the presence of women in science and technology and to remind men in technical communities that women are unquestionably capable of great achievments and we deserve there respect. I for one remind every programmer and hacking friend, that the first programmer was a woman and a weaver. Thank you Ada.... Priscilla
National Physical Gallery, Teddington.

kitty: HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Happy Halloween!!!!

kitty: Happy World Wide Spin in Public Day!!!

Etsy: Malia Fibers - Sold Playing with Fire Colour: Pink Delight Fiber Content: This batt was created from carbonized bamboo, bamboo, tussah silk, tencel, sari silk, sparkle, and glitz.

Happy World Wide Knit in Public Day!!! - link I must confess though I didn't spin this in public today. I have been trying to get this cute little bat spun up since last weekend. So I have been spinning on short breaks to get water and sodas in the afternoon. I thought today was a good day to share this spinning and about Mia's new etsy shoppe. If you haven't heard, Mia from Knit and Play with Fire has opened an Etsy Shoppe - Malia Fibers. She is specializing in Art Batt's, Hand spun yarns, and also Spinners Aprons. Hope you all get a chance to spin outside today!!!!!

kitty: Hope you had a beautiful weekend

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!

kitty: happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July

Practicing Victorian Ribbon Pleating to create a Patriotic Ribbon for M. We went to the Ohio Historical Village for there 4th of July Celebration. Thanks M for taking the photos. More can be seen here

kitty: Happy Sumer Soltice

Setting outside between 8 - 9:30 tonight in observance of Candle Night . Sadly the bugs didn't agree with me staying outside until 10. I must admit that I found out about it from MG flickr stream. :) So I am a copy cat in the observation of the event. I may have also jumped on the textured shawl band wagon tonight since I will be in a conference latter this week I needed something to work on that is mindless. Pattern: textured shawl recipe Fiber: Habu A-1B Kakishibu Tsumugi Silk Colour: 52

kitty: happy memorial day

Happy Memorial Day

A special thank you to all of the heroes, old and new that have sacrificed or risked there lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms we still have here in the United States. Thanks also to all the woman and men who have worked for the CIA and FBI, heroes behind the screens. The photos were taken at the Field of Heroes in Westerville, OH. The First field of flags done in Central Ohio to remember the fallen Ohio Heroes.

kitty: happy mother's day

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!

kitty: happy earth day

Happy Earth Day

kitty: in your easter bonnet

Happy Easter

Hats by Amy Hamilton Partners in Life and Art, an exhibition featuring the work of artists Paul and Amy Hamilton at the Franklin Park Conservatory. See some of her other amazing hats.

kitty: Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

kitty: happy belated valentines day

Hope you and your families had a wonderful Valentines Day!

kitty: happy hari-kuyo (memorial service for used pins & needles)

	Happy Hari-kuyo (Memorial Service for Used Pins)!!!! Thanks Knitgrrl, for posting about this celebration. To be honest I had no idea that there was a Buddhist and Shinto Festival of Broken Needles in Japan. So I quickly did a google and read as much info as I could before calling a dear friend to find out more information, thanks A. Today is a day of respect for the tools of the sewing trade. It is a 400 year old tradition where historically a tofu paste would be made in the temple and the broken needles would be placed into it before they were taken to there place of rest. I am so happy to hear that this festival exist, but more over that there is a day to lay respect to the tools of the trade. A day to thank them for helping the artisan / crafter / weavers / tailors / seamstresses / even Fashion Students for the hard work the tools have done. Also a day where secretes that were put into the pins could be revealed to the gods. This is a day to take off from your needlework project to lay respect and gratitude.
Additional information: History and Observance Flickr photo A virtual Harkuyo celebration History of the celebration (JP) Adorable photo
What I find really interesting is that this day marks the end of the Chinese New Years celebration. Where historically you would not have done any household chores or even taken out your trash for 15 days. It was believed that doing so would show that your year to come would be full of waste and bad luck. The end of New Year also marks the day when the real work for the new year was about to start. Sadly it looks like I am out of tofu and with the deadline today I doubt I will make it to the store. I did run downstairs and burned some incense to thank my needles for there help in achieving my goals.
updated the goddess of needlecraft, arts, creativity JP: "Wakahiru, the Japanese goddess of weaving, takes a much deserved break from her toils today to enjoy the beauty of handcrafted items, and she suggest you do likewise. Legend has it that she is also the dawn goddess - a suitable job for the younger sister of Amaterasu (the sun goddess), who favored Wakahiry because of her excellent weaving skills. When Wakahiur died, Amaterasu refused to shine until lured out of her hiding place by the invention of mirrors. To Do today: Find a pocket swing kit and use it as a Wakahiru charm for creativity. Energize the charm of leaving it in the light of dawn saying, With inventiveness fill, by your power and my will."said Patricia Telesco from 365 Goddess. The goddess of weaving for Chinese, Zhi Nu: Zhi Nu the goddess from the Seven Sisters Festival or Chinese Valentines day. But Remember No NEEDLEWORK is done today. Clean your tools and thank them.

kitty: 花生湯圓

photo taken by M Canon 450D

花生湯圓

Hope you all were able to find a few moments to spend with your love ones today. This is how M and I spent the last few minutes of January 1, 4707 . We made tangyuan (peanut butter dumplings) and I thought seriously about making molded cookies, but laziness won out. I got them out and got them oiled so that should count for something. They just take so long to make and bake. Though M was just happy to have the majority of the tangyuan he thankfully didn't care. I really think the year of the Ox will be a good one for me and scary. Lots of changes and new beginnings to look forward to this year. I just need to do my best! Change and a new outlook on things is sometimes what we all need. :)