May 30, 2013

May Ramblings

 
We were exploring the back roads of the South Shore one day when we passed The Painted Saltbox Gallery in Petite Riviere. I couldn't resist popping in on the way back as there is always something interesting there. I love the garden bench under the front window!
 
We picked up two prints - one by each of the artists who own the gallery. Both men have impressive resumes with experience in theatre, television, design, art, furniture design and production ...

 
This is Tom Alway's Sea Glass

 
and Peter Blais' Pond Street
 
Around the May Garden
 
It is now the end of May and summer is arriving over the next couple of days with temperatures forecast to be in the high twenties. Spring is almost non-existent here. It is that period of time when it is no longer winter but it would be foolish to pack one's heavy wool coat away. This year, it has been very cool and very wet so we deserve the warm temperatures on the horizon.
 
 
Bleeding Heart

 
Calibrachoa


 
Goldmound Spirea with Chamaecyparis pisifera

 
Heuchera Silver Scrolls

 
Heuchera Plum Pudding
 
 
 
 

May 21, 2013

Leftover Pi

 

Pi Socks
 
 Striped socks are fun to knit and fun to wear. And they are a great way to use up bits of leftover yarn.
But unless you knit an equal number of rows for each stripe, it is surprising difficult to plan a pleasing arrangement of stripes of varying widths - unless, that is, you have a mathematical mind and the ability to problem solve using numerical formulas!
 
These socks was designed by Susan Gutperl by truncating the numerical value of pi to fifty decimal places and adding the number one to each of those digits. I don't know about you, but when I am trying to think of a way to use my yarn in a pleasing fashion, truncating the value of pi isn't the first solution that comes to mind! It works beautifully.
 
Clever lady. Here's her blog -  soozasknitting.
 
Pattern: Pi Socks
Designer: Susan Gutperl
Yarn:  Lana Grossa Meilenweit 100 Ultimo (2504); Opal Uni Solid (anthracite);
            Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (cranberry)
Needles: Circular - 2.25 mm
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 

May 14, 2013

The Great Canadian Work Socks

 
 
Pattern: Cuff and leg stitch pattern from Nancy Bush's Country Socks (Folk Socks book)
Yarns: Opal Uni Solid (anthracite - 5191); Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (natural - 4726);
             Cascade Heritage (red -5607)
Needles: Circular - 2.25 mm
 
Certainly anyone of my vintage or from the previous generation will remember these socks growing up. They always had a grey body with natural color cuffs, heels, and toes. And the red stripe. Men wore them working, hunting, and fishing - and on cold winter days around the house when only a wood stove blazing could take the drafty chill off a room.

May 05, 2013

Cake, Cardi, and Things Dinner Guests Have Done Over The Years

 
Movita's Birthday Cake - Before Decorating
 
Now, you'd think I would find baking Movita's birthday cake a daunting task. After all, she is the Baking Ballerina and doing an apprenticeship in a Nova Scotia bakery as I write this post. I look at it this way - however it turns out, given the long gruelling days she is putting in, it will be a treat to have someone else do the work for her! I made the Mile High Chocolate Cake from the Epicurious website and iced it with Martha Stewart's Fluffy White Frosting.
 
 

Keeping The Decorations Simple - Fresh Yellow Flowers
 
 
Zen Cardigan
 
Here's the little cardi that I knit with the Kona sport yarn that I hand dyed here in the kitchen with Wilton's food coloring! It is knit on much larger needles than sport yarn usually calls for, giving the sweater a lot of drape. I thought the garter stitch really worked well with the variegation in the yarn.
 
 
The little cardi is asymmetrical and knit from the top down with no seaming.
 
Pattern: Zen Cardigan
Designer: al-abrigo
Yarn: Henry's Attic Kona Sport Merino
Color: Wilton's Food Coloring (Cornflower Blue) with Clubhouse Food Coloring (Yellow)
Needles: Circular - 5.5 mm
 
Now, Dinner Guests:
 
We have had some odd things happen over the years with dinner guests. Though none of them have ever walked off with anything. Until now.
 
There was the young gal who came to a gathering of family and friends and arrived earlier in the day. She hung around the kitchen a lot and watched me cook and take the meal to the dinner table. Just after we all sat down and raised our forks, she announced with a sickeningly sweet smile that she was vegetarian! I don't remember what I had prepared for the meal but I remember thinking quickly that the only option open to the kid at that point in time was a peanut butter and jam sandwich! And I had the distinct feeling that she had played this little trick on hostesses in the past and liked the attention and dismayed reaction. After all, what cook doesn't want all her guests to enjoy their meal?
 
Then there was the earnest young lawyer and his wife who came to lunch one weekend when the children were very young. They arrived with their little boy and we had a pleasant chat before sitting down and we found them to be a lovely couple. As the meal was nearing an end, the husband leaned over and asked me directly what I planned on serving for dessert. I was a tiny bit taken aback. Usually, the hostess announces dessert and brings it to the table. There is no question period beforehand. I told him what I had made. He thought about it for a minute and asked "Well, do you mind if I go out to the car and bring in a dessert my mother made? I'd like that one more."
I was unusually speechless.
And I felt a little sorry for his wife. I wondered how many times over the years, he would be able to produce something his mother had done better...
 
We had two separate occasions when old friends were sitting around the table after the meal, chatting, and solving the world's problems. One was dramatically making a point, plunking his wine glass on the table, only to raise it again and find the stem and base left behind! Another old friend put her wine glass down just a tiny bit more forcefully than usual and was amazed to find the stem had no base when she lifted it up again.
Ah, well, accidents happen. We all have them. The rule here is that if you break a great crystal wine glass, you do penance for six months with a tumbler. Then you are given access to the crystal again.
 
The Case of the Missing Napkins:
 
 
A couple of weeks ago, Movita emailed me after returning home from a dinner here to say that 2.0 had taken his jacket and shoes off, then pulled one of our cloth napkins from his back pocket!! She was amazed that he had carried it off without noticing. And last night, getting back after her birthday supper, she wrote to say that he had done it yet again!
Either dear 2.0 has latent klepto tendencies or Naughty Nora is so distracting that the poor man can't think straight by the time he leaves. The latter, I believe, is far more likely...
 

 

May 02, 2013

Movita's Birthday



It has been an eventful year for Movita.

The last 365 day trip around the sun has brought many changes.

Movita
Fragile, resilient, sensitive, brave, daring, cautious, talented, quick, witty, hard working, and incredibly, incredibly creative.
 
Enjoy the next journey, Firstborn Girl  We will be travelling with you in hearts and minds.