Dogs, Knitting and Quilts

Awhile back I said I was sent a copy of the free ebook "Love of Knitting" that shows easy lace knitting patterns.  The plan was for me to give a review and to provide the link for any of you who like to knit.  Well, I just started browsing through it and the patterns are truly lovely and the instructions are easy and clear to read.  You should have some experience knitting to attempt them but you by no means have to be an expert knitter.  I'm going to try knitting the "Cielo Shell" and I hope in a couple of weeks to have a photo of it in progress to show you.  It really is a lovely book and you can get it for free right here!

Here are a couple of photos of two other projects in the making.  I thought I would be much farther ahead on them but as usual, I'm falling behind my schedule.  These are some of the blocks I'm making from apron fabric scraps that are intended to become twin sized quilts for that girls' orphanage in Patzcuaro that I wrote about awhile back.  I need to make 45 quilts.  Hah!  Like that's going to happen during my lifetime!  I'm serious though about 45 - it isn't right to just hand out a to a couple of girls.  They all need one.  So.  Anyone volunteer to help??  I'm serious.

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You can tell I haven't gotten very far.  I have tons more fabric back in Chicago so it looks like this will be an ongoing project.

These other photos are for a quilt I'm making for a Christmas present.  Looks like that will be Christmas of 2014 because not only is it not pieced yet, or even completely cut out, but I still have to hand quilt it once it is pieced.  Or Christmas 2015.

In my defense on this one:  there have been hundreds of pieces to cut out and sew together to form those blocks.  I'm more than half done with the blocks then I need to cut out more panels and start sewing the strips.  And then hand quilt it.

Finally, you know how much I love the non profit organization It's a Pittie Rescue.  I've posted about Mama Petunia and puppy Caine.  Well, their major fundraiser is on Saturday, August 3 and it looks like it will be a lot of fun.  You can buy your tickets here for $35 until tomorrow and $45 at the door.  It is a casino night theme with lots of prizes, food and drinks.  It's a great way to support this organization!  Thanks!

Barbara Kingsolver, author and knitter, and my sleeve

Sometimes it seems that a small number of people have the majority of the available talent on Earth. For example, not only is this person the author of literature to die for, but she is also an expert knitter and a gardener, plus many other things. Welcome to the life of Barbara Kingsolver, one of the world's most beloved contemporary authors who has penned fourteen novels ranging from The Bean Trees to The Poisonwood Bible to her most recent, Flight Behavior.  It seems that despite her fame and well earned fortune, Barbara Kingsolver is a down to earth individual who is devoted to her husband, daughters, the environment, and her community in southern Virginia.  In addition, she helps new writers' voices be heard and published through the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, the nation's largest prize for an unpublished first novel which she established in 1998.

A few months ago I bought a copy of Vogue Knitting and was thrilled to see a feature article on Ms. Kingsolver.  It turns out that she and her family live on a farm in southern Appalachia and guess what they raise?  Icelandic sheep.  And she knits.  Really really well.  If you like knitting, check out the article and the photos of two of the gorgeous sweaters she knit.  One actually is a coat she knit for her teen aged daughter, and the other is a sweater she made for herself.  What really would have sent me over the edge would have been the news that she sheers her sheep and then spins the yarn.  Thankfully for my sanity she doesn't, BUT, she does hand dye the yarn that is sheered from her sheep and that she then sends out to be spun.  She writes, hand dyes her own yarn, takes care of sheep, tends a garden, and travels all over the world promoting her books and doing research for future novels.  What isn't ideal about that life?  When you have talent, you have talent!

In the meantime, I was feeling rather proud of this cable I knit for the cuff of my red sweater that is scheduled to make its debut late this fall for the reopening of Arturo's art gallery in Chicago.  I have the outfit all planned out in my head.  All I have to do now is make the sweater so that it fits me, lose a few pounds so that I fit into the pants I have hanging in my closet, and we will be good to go.

It doesn't look all that impressive yet - but these are the most intricate cables I've attempted to knit yet and I think they came out okay.  The front will be the same cable pattern.

The construction work is coming along.  Arturo promises that we will have a working stove by tomorrow.  To tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind if it takes a couple more days.  I kind of like eating at the little restaurant right around the corner!

Happy 4th of July!!
Naomi

Sunshine, Shawls and a Hero

Our plumbing is still a huge mess, there are still tons of problems everywhere, but the sun came out today in Mexico City and pessimistic thoughts don't help anyone.  Instead, I'm happy to say that I finished a project!  For those of you who don't know me, you may shake your head and say "so what."  And that is a legitimate thought to have.  But as my family and close friends know, I have a short attention span, starting many things then taking forever to finish any of them, because by the time I'm half way through a project, something better comes along.  Unfortunately, my house contains many orphaned projects that will never again see the light of day.

But not this raspberry shawl/throw!   It took a year of  on and off knitting but it's done.  For those of you who knit and want to do a fast project (I know, a year isn't fast but

 most people have more "stick to it" will power than I have), I recommend this.  It was knit with a silky cotton yarn and is a super easy pattern:
Cast on 60
Row 1: knit, pearl, knit, pearl, to the end of the row
Row 2: knit
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until desired length - this one is about 60"

It took a little over two skeins of yarn (I can't find the label but any silky cotton will do).

 I'm really bad at taking pictures of myself and Arturo wasn't around so this is as good as it gets.

In other news, I'm working on a couple of book reviews that I want to post here - if you have any suggestions please let me know.  Then last night I was asked if I would like to review a new book on knitting.  Even though I advised them that I'm not an expert, they said that was fine as the book is for all levels.  So I'll be doing that review soon too.

To top off today's post, and most importantly, here is a FB link about a Borlaug family member of whom we are extremely proud:  Norman Borlaug.  Most people don't know who he is, but he is credited with saving millions of lives through his work, and in 1970 he won the Nobel Peace Prize.  Much of his work in developing disease resistent, high yield wheat varieties was done just miles away from Mexico City in Toluca, Estado de Mexico.  There are many websites about his life and work, including this one.  Thanks to my cousin David Borlaug for starting the ball rolling on the topic of Norman Borlaug today.   Inspiration is all around us!

Makes Me Smile

Happy people lift the spirits of just about everyone whom they touch - whether you see them in person, read about them, look at something they have created or just hear stories about them.  While I have never met her, Ree Drummond, aka  the Pioneer Woman, seems to be one of those happy people.  Her life, at least the parts she shares with the world through her blog and books, reads like a fairy tale.  But I don't think that is why she is happy.  Instead, I think she naturally is a well adjusted, fun person who has been lucky, but who also has worked hard for what she has achieved and knows how to appreciate what she has.

So, as I said above, because happy people make me happy, I have her cookbooks propped up against the wall in my kitchen.  Every time I look over at the covers, I smile.  Simple things, yet so important.

Feeling inspired, I mentioned to Arturo that maybe I could start a blog about restaurants in Mexico City.  I thought that we could go around the town eating, taking photos of the food and restaurants, and then blog about it.  He said that if I could come up with the funding to do that, then he would go along with it.  This was right after I had an idea to create a new type of coffee table that would have built in coasters that I would design out of mosaic tile.  I think that he is getting tired of my ideas.  But he knows that they won't stop coming so he is resigned.

I want to point out that while I have a lot of projects that I have started, and while it does take me a long time to finish them since I have a short attention span, I did manage to complete this shawl for my mother in law.  It was supposed to be a gift for Mothers Day so I wasn't too late.  It feels good to finish something!  Happy Wednesday!