tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125212812011-04-21T17:18:45.426-07:00A blog about cross stitch, knitting, gardening, books, movies, pets, and whatever crosses my path during the day.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.comBlogger5991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-55230062543884271252008-12-12T07:38:00.000-08:002008-12-12T07:45:04.819-08:00

We recently moved all our web sites onto a new server. My old store, Laura's Books, is pretty much gone now. If you're looking for my cross stitch board, Threads, it's in the same old place. If you're looking for the fabric calculator, it has a new home on my new knitting pattern site, Fiber Dreams. If you're looking for my gardening pages, they have a completely new home under a domain I haven't

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1164402743020027962006-11-24T13:10:00.000-08:002007-05-07T08:23:18.298-07:00

Not only did I move my blog (be sure to update your links to http://blog.fiberdreams.com), but I've now renamed it! What up until now has been known as Laura's Thoughts will henceforth be known to all as Fiber Dreams.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1155752903662895452006-08-16T11:26:00.000-07:002006-08-16T11:39:36.000-07:00

Remember that my blog has moved. My new home is http://blog.laurasbooks.com Be sure to update your bookmarks, links, blogrolls, site feed (use the link in the sidebar to update your Bloglines feed), or whatever you use to visit my blog.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1155095792449686972006-08-08T20:52:00.000-07:002006-08-08T21:14:28.443-07:00

Now, not only have I started posting all my new posts in my new home, but I have managed to import all of my historical posts from Blogger to my new blog. Except for the images. Drat. That'll take more doing. Dave thinks he can "fix" the images, which would be totally cool. I did it the hard way on the posts on the first page, but the rest of them you'll just have to deal with for now. So, this

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154966960270686592006-08-07T09:08:00.000-07:002006-08-07T09:09:20.406-07:00

For recent updates, be sure to visit my new blog! :-)

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154906143875778712006-08-06T16:12:00.000-07:002006-08-06T16:48:53.370-07:00

I don't have all my historical posts over at my new home yet, but I'm starting to post the new stuff over there, or I will be soon, anyway, so that's the place to go. My new blog home: http://blog.laurasbooks.com Remember to change your bookmarks, links, feeds, or anything else that you use to keep up to date with me. P.S. An apology to Firefox users. The sidebar in my new blog is a little

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154639900899826282006-08-03T14:14:00.000-07:002006-08-03T17:27:31.530-07:00

Do your reading habits change for the summer months? If so, how? Since I stopped going to school about a million years ago, one month is pretty much like another, so, uh no, my summer reading schedule is no different than it is at any other time of the year.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154631716674531402006-08-03T11:22:00.000-07:002006-08-03T12:28:15.486-07:00

Do you have a favorite needlework tool that you like to work with? What is it and why do you like using it? My favorite tools are my cheetah-handled embroidery scissors and my pretty dololly that I got on eBay a couple years ago (I just looked, and unfortunately the person I got mine from doesn't have any listed). I don't use the dololly very often, but when I need it, I'm sure glad I have it.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154564343363528722006-08-02T16:49:00.000-07:002006-08-02T17:19:03.536-07:00

I got my magazine in the mail last week. I always look forward to getting my next Interweave Knits. Though I normally read this rag cover to cover, I'm not often drawn to very many of the designs. This issue is a bit of an exception. I absolutely love the cover sweater, the Equinox Yoke Pullover. Love it. It's similar to some of the Swedish Bohus designs in Poems of Color by Wendy Keele (I love

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154562340473617442006-08-02T16:39:00.000-07:002006-08-02T16:45:40.513-07:00

I recently discovered the beautiful designs of Jackie E-S of HeartStrings FiberArts. I like her patterns so much that I contacted her about carrying her designs in my online shop, and she said yes! I don't have many of her designs yet, just a couple dozen, but I sorely want to make quite a few of them myself. I have designs on a pretty tee and some socks. If I had any cause to actually wear

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154472231994163112006-08-01T15:39:00.000-07:002006-08-01T15:47:05.450-07:00

I'm in blogging withdrawal! I wasn't going to add anything to my blog until I move, but I can't help myself. This is so weird. I never thought I'd really take to blogging this way. On to the point of this post... This is just flying along. I'm sure it's at least partly the excitement of a new start, but the blues! Oh, they're so pretty. I showed Dave that bit out outlining the other day, and

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154375474587322872006-07-31T12:47:00.000-07:002006-07-31T12:51:14.636-07:00

I'm in the throws of moving my blog. I've gotten tired of Blogger not always being available, of not always being able to upload images, and other assorted problems. Plus, we're upgrading our own server, and it'll be bigger, better, faster, and will be able to support my blog. The last few days, and probably a few to come, will find me spending the time I would ordinarily spend blogging, in

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154105599452165082006-07-28T09:42:00.000-07:002006-07-28T10:05:51.013-07:00

I saw this on Renée's blog, and thought I'd play. Haven't done one for a while, and I love the picture. You Are: 30% Dog, 70% Cat You and cats have a lot in common. You're both smart and in charge—with a good amount of attitude. However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out! Are You More Cat or Dog?

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154104461043269582006-07-28T09:22:00.000-07:002006-07-28T09:34:22.390-07:00

Many of us have a few pairs of embroidery scissors and some even have a collection. How many pairs of scissors do you have? Feel free to share a photo of your favorite pair or pairs with us! You see here the only two pairs of embroidery scissors that I own. I think. It's possible I have an old pair that no longer works floating around the house somewhere, possibly a pair that once belonged to

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154039917675245162006-07-27T15:30:00.000-07:002006-07-27T15:46:43.780-07:00

Can you tell that I missed blogging yesterday? Between not having time, and Blogger being down when I did have time, I didn't get any posts in yesterday at all. Without further ado, here's another one! On friends At the very end of May a friend that I used to work with here in southern California, Mike, came out from his current home in Texas to visit a bunch of friends here. And we were on his

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154035665605833772006-07-27T14:12:00.000-07:002006-07-27T16:08:37.263-07:00

We interrupt this blog for a shameless plug: Dave got a contract recently for a new web site. It's done now and online. I told him I'd share. We got this site up in about a month, including waiting for text. Not too bad. It's for a company called United Wheel Techs. They invented a machine to refurbish your car wheels for you while they're on the car. Totally cool. I'd love to see this thing in

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154023594174700342006-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:002006-07-27T11:22:53.490-07:00

Last night's sunset was so gorgeous I had to share it with you. We rarely get such a colorful sky. I love how the colors of the sky reflected off of peoples' roofs. By the way, please excuse the angle. I was reaching out the window with the camera in one hand, trying to get as much sky as possible without getting the next door neighbor's house in the picture...

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1154021462206492122006-07-27T10:21:00.000-07:002006-07-27T10:53:47.970-07:00

Have you read Lord of the Rings? Sure have. If so, how many times have you read it? Just once? Or so many you can't count? Neither. I've read it twice. I found the book, The Hobbit, when I was in junior high. Loved it. The Lord of the Rings must have been lent to someone else—I'm sure they had it—as I didn't see it in the library. My high school sophomore English teacher gave us three weeks to

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153861675554070752006-07-25T13:34:00.000-07:002006-07-25T14:27:07.370-07:00

Stone Patch... nearly there We spent Sunday afternoon at a friends' house. Friends, Marc and JoAnn, who willingly shared their air conditioning with us. I took Stone Patch along, just in case it was cool enough to work on it. It was. It was cool enough, that is, to have a big, thick, wool sweater on my lap for a while, and not die of heat. And now, except for the buttons—which I still have to

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153835095406838552006-07-25T06:25:00.000-07:002006-07-25T06:44:55.530-07:00

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153757375985564822006-07-24T08:54:00.000-07:002006-07-24T09:23:45.876-07:00

The last couple times I picked up Winding the Skeins, I didn't get much done. I felt listless and out of sorts. Once I decided to start Stepsisters and got going, I got a ton done. True to form, I started at the top left corner of the design. I got all those lovely green leaves stitched on Saturday, while trying not to become a fried egg on my couch. I couldn't believe how hot it was... The hall

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153756375811057252006-07-24T08:52:00.000-07:002006-07-24T08:52:55.846-07:00

I know. I know. I was supposed to post this picture on Saturday. Well, I didn't. And since I know myself, I'm not going to join the ring, though you will get an occasional sky shot out of me.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153591910726638822006-07-22T10:26:00.000-07:002006-07-22T11:11:50.943-07:00

Due to popular demand, these are most of the books that are in this photo. The pile of books on the far left, starting at the top: Crewel World by Monica Ferris. A woman inherits a knitting shop from her murdered sister—and knows nothing about knitting! First in a series. It was quite fun. I look forward to reading more of these some day. Polgara the Sorceress by David and Leigh Eddings

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153501438808894232006-07-21T09:22:00.000-07:002006-07-21T10:28:13.043-07:00

What is most battered book in your collection? The one with loose pages, tattered corners, and page edges so soft that there's not even a risk of paper cuts anymore? There are two. A paperback copy of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind that I got when I was in junior high school, and a copy of Charles Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit. Why is this book so tattered? Is it that you love it so much

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153435161435112252006-07-20T15:17:00.000-07:002006-07-20T15:46:12.433-07:00

On coffee Michelle said, I think the closer you get to Seattle the more guilty you're supposed to feel about not drinking coffee. I'm still 3 hrs away and I do believe I'm the only person in the entire STATE of Oregon that doesn't drink coffee. I know how you feel, Michelle. Most of my life I've been the only person I know who doesn't like coffee. I've known a few people who don't drink it, but

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153430045835858002006-07-20T14:09:00.000-07:002006-07-20T14:14:05.866-07:00

Knitting needles that take batteries? I'm not sure why you'd want them. If it's that dark, you won't be able to read your pattern. That, and I'd think they would be likely to disturb the people around you, like in a movie theater or something. I appear not to be in their target audience. If you are, you can get them at Patternworks. It could very well be I'm just missing the point.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153346150765134892006-07-19T14:15:00.000-07:002006-07-19T14:55:50.980-07:00

I forget whose blog I found this link on. Drat. Anyway, Elizabeth Lovick has an article about Shetland lace knitting, including a bit of history, and a few patterns, on Knitting Beyond the Hebrides site. There are a lot of wonderful links on their schedule page. I've been thinking about maybe joining The Knitting Guild of America lately, for the purpose of taking some of their correspondence or

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153343000321362862006-07-19T13:55:00.000-07:002006-07-19T14:08:25.813-07:00

I don't like coffee. Never have. Don't know if I ever will. Time will tell. Dave likes it, though. Hm. No, I don't think like is a strong enough word. He's passionate about coffee. That works better. He's been considering getting into roasting his own coffee. See? Passionate. Only people passionate about coffee care to take the trouble of roasting their own. During some of his coffee research he

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153250241348187932006-07-18T11:00:00.000-07:002006-07-18T15:17:22.533-07:00

Judy wrote: I'm a book lover too and I was wondering if you'd post pictures of your library or bookshelves sometime. It's cool seeing other peoples collections. You asked for it, Judy. Here are some of our books. And then there are these... And these... And these... And these... There is also a case of reference and software books next to my desk here in my office, two large cases

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153175572951510172006-07-17T15:15:00.000-07:002006-07-17T15:32:53.206-07:00

Yarn shop linkOoh, Angela, what gorgeous yarn. Thank you for sharing the link to Spritely Goods. They most definitely have some yummy yarns to choose from. Reading about knitting I've been reading A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber. I happened to be finishing up the last few chapters while sitting here at my computer, so was able to go look at one of the links she mentioned as I came across it.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153157662566128882006-07-17T10:29:00.000-07:002006-07-17T10:34:22.643-07:00

I was reading Theresa's blog this morning. She just finished her flower basket shawl from the Fall 2004 issue of Interweave Knits. I went and dug out my copy of the magazine. Nope. Would never have knit it from that picture. But Theresa's shawl is gorgeous. She had a link to a Fiber Trends page with a photo of the shawl. This is a fabulous picture of the shawl, too. It's amazing what a difference

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153154737382599932006-07-17T09:36:00.000-07:002006-07-17T09:45:37.506-07:00

I got another email from KnitPicks late last week. This one featured knitted, felted bowls. I don't know why, but I am quite drawn to these bowls. Perhaps it's because I love just about any kind of dishes, plus I love knitting. The combination just rocks my socks. I can't spend the money on it right now, but if I were going to I'd have to get the suggested yarn in the Rocky Mountain

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1153082978325776722006-07-16T13:46:00.000-07:002006-07-16T13:58:54.596-07:00

We have Cingular for our cell phone service. Have had for a long time now, as they're the only ones that have a tower on this side of our hill. Got a thing in the mail this week. Because of system upgrades, they want to replace the sim card in our phones (free). They'll even transfer the data for us. Okay. Whatever. We went by one of the stores yesterday to take care of it. They put the new sim

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152895698837607212006-07-14T09:39:00.000-07:002006-07-14T09:48:18.890-07:00

The skin tone in the hand is still fairly dark, however there is a lot more depth to the color now. Instead of those stitches being all one color, there are probably eight different colors. I am much happier. Now I'm content to let the colors unfold, see how they look when more of the hand is stitched, and how the background colors affect the overall look. Weeee! In addition to yanking all the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152831441837058812006-07-13T15:48:00.000-07:002006-07-13T16:10:59.276-07:00

This is the first of hopefully a lot of wonderful booking meme questions that I didn't have to fuss about, because Deb did. Thank you, sweetie! P.S. I'm looking forward to answering the questions you have lined up for next week, too. It's fun having inside information, and knowing what they're going to be! What is the most pristine, perfect book in your collection? The one that looks like it's

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152818799005302092006-07-13T12:01:00.000-07:002006-07-13T12:26:43.030-07:00

I think I must have mentioned at some point that my maternal grandmother's favorite color was purple. She decorated her living room around her love of purple—though her decorator wouldn't let her do the entire room in that color, yes huge thanks are due to that decorator. Grandma also had a few other purple bits scattered about the house. One of them was this lovely area rug that she purchased

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152746336270166242006-07-12T16:11:00.000-07:002006-07-12T16:25:10.980-07:00

This is one of Ricki's, "What are you doing?" looks. She's known I was in the room for several minutes. Heard me turn on the camera. This is the second or third shot I've taken of her, and she's hardly twitched an ear. But I got down on her level, so she had to peek at me. Yes, Dani, a female orange tabby. Cool, huh? Plus, do you see that little dark smudge between her eyes? Almost looks a little

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152745701140639632006-07-12T16:02:00.000-07:002006-07-12T16:08:21.143-07:00

Out with June I was digging around in my stash yesterday, looking for purple yarns and found tons of blue ones. I was going to do a blue yarn pile for you in June, but never got around to it. So here you go. Lots of lovely blues. I have more, too. This pile is made just from yarns found here in my office. There are more in my old trunk in the next room, but I figured this pile was big enough.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152744611546060862006-07-12T15:01:00.000-07:002006-07-12T15:56:02.460-07:00

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Carol and is: Since you started blogging, have you noticed any difference in your stitching habits? Tell us about them. I really don't know. I started a HAED since then, but don't know if that's more attributable to blogging or my board. Oh, one thing, I have decided to count the stitches done on two of my projects, and I would never have done that without the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152641212161773672006-07-11T10:53:00.000-07:002006-07-11T11:06:52.396-07:00

I've gotten a lot of wonderful comments from folks lately. As to answering some of them, let's see... Yes, Jenna, I'd love to do something with all of this yarn, but... I only make socks out of machine washable wool—lazy me—and I need money more than non-washable socks. Alas. Even so, I don't know if I'll be able to part with that Yorkshire Tweed. I really love that yarn. I just don't know if I

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152556636308146982006-07-10T11:36:00.000-07:002006-07-10T11:37:16.346-07:00

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152555925248946172006-07-10T11:12:00.000-07:002006-07-10T11:28:59.533-07:00

I still don't have a new photo for you, but that's because the sweater doesn't really look much different than the last time you saw it, though I did get a little work done on it on Saturday. I took it over to my neighbor's house (much cooler than mine) to work on while we watched a movie (Two Weeks Notice). I got the second sleeve sewn on, and I started seaming the second side. I'm up above the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152554958442887492006-07-10T11:00:00.000-07:002006-07-10T11:09:18.513-07:00

I got a note back from Bob at HAED on Saturday evening. He recharted the skin for me, lightening the colors a little, and giving the skin more depth. Woohoo! I now have to pull a ton of more colors, and work from two charts, but the lady sitting on the left is not going to look so swarthy, and one-dimensional. Awesome service, Bob. Thank you so very much! As you can see, I have already frogged

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152379049231543052006-07-08T10:11:00.000-07:002006-07-08T10:24:13.836-07:00

It progresses. I've stitched down to the first body part: the girl on the left, the one who's sitting, is holding up her right hand (here's the design). That dark blob under the sky is supposed to be part of her hand. It's way darker than in the picture. As much as I love the colors in the sky, I dislike the color of her skin. The part I've stitched so far isn't the darkest part. And the side of

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152367081787032182006-07-08T06:55:00.000-07:002006-07-08T06:59:56.400-07:00

I finally got a Bloglines account yesterday. If you have one and want to add me to your list of feeds, you can use this link here, or one in my sidebar. I was amazed, though. Within half an hour of getting my subscription I had five people signed up. Within two hours there were nineteen subscribers! Wow. Knock me over with a feather. LOL

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152298872682295022006-07-07T11:42:00.000-07:002006-07-07T12:01:12.806-07:00

Jenna, you are a delight. Thank you for all the wonderful comments. Socks for beginners. You don't have to use four or five needles. You could start with the magic loop method (one circular needle), or two circular needles. Lots of people knit socks that way. I'd probably try it, but I don't have any circulars in small enough sizes, but I do have a full set (well, sizes zero through three,

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152290416265819912006-07-07T09:31:00.000-07:002006-07-07T09:40:16.370-07:00

I should be working on that web site that Dave and I are building for a new client. But I'm not. I should be creating listings for all these new patterns I have so that I can sell them, but I'm not. I'm thinking about Dad. Missing him. I still can't accept that he's gone. Up until now he's just been there. Steady. Loving. Always present in my life. A few minutes ago I was looking back at a post

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152209048526332532006-07-06T10:48:00.000-07:002006-07-06T11:04:12.886-07:00

This week's questions were suggested by Christine. Do you read non-fiction books for pleasure, not counting books required for courses or for work? For the most part, no, I don't. If so, what areas of non-fiction interest you the most? If not, why not? When I read I generally prefer to read to pleasure, to escape, so I read fiction. But, I when I read non-fiction, it's almost always a knitting

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152137292780366292006-07-05T14:58:00.000-07:002006-07-05T15:29:40.390-07:00

It's just been too hot to even think about working on my sweater. Regardless of how much I want to get it done—the term "eager beaver" comes to mind—the mere thought of that huge pile of yarn sitting on my lap practically gives me convulsions. So, I'm back to stitching! It's ever so much easier to stitch on a hot day than to knit something large. I've been stitching along on Winding the Skeins

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152128451004966502006-07-05T12:25:00.000-07:002006-07-05T14:35:11.966-07:00

The latest edition of Knitty is out, and it's packed full of socks I want to knit. Egads. LOL There are gloves and hats, too, but the socks are the ones that are calling my name. My favorite—at this moment, anyway—is the new sock from Cookie (she of Pomatomus fame), this pretty red lace deal that I have a photo of here. She's done it again, this time her sock is called Baudelaire. And then

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1152119244932517422006-07-05T10:01:00.000-07:002006-07-05T10:07:25.130-07:00

What is the biggest mishap you have had with your stitching material (i.e. spillages)? So far, knock on wood, I haven't had any major problems with spilling things on my stitching. I've been known to get a crumb or two on it, once a tiny bit of chocolate (on the edge), but so far nothing worse than that. My one really bad spill was on a sweater I was knitting years ago. It's a light green

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151961978801344172006-07-03T14:12:00.000-07:002006-07-03T14:32:07.880-07:00

A rose People can be especially nice sometimes. In May Dave talked with an insurance saleswoman a couple of times. She called back to learn that my dad had died. She expressed her condolences. Said she'd call back again in a couple months. Nothing unusual there so far. She called back. Wanted our address so she could send a card. That's nice. When we were gone our next door neighbor, Bob,

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151948232133088872006-07-03T10:33:00.000-07:002006-07-03T10:37:12.220-07:00

I actually started stitching again on Saturday for the first time since May 2. It's awesome! It feels wonderful to be stitching again, and I've gotten a lot done in just two days. I really wanted to finish up my sweater before picking up the stitching again, but it's been way too hot here to have that huge pile of wool on my lap. The first side is seamed, and the pocket is tacked in place. I have

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151772293978669772006-07-01T09:41:00.000-07:002006-07-01T09:44:54.013-07:00

There are hummingbirds of all varieties throughout the State of California. When I was a kid our next door neighbor gave us a discarded nest. Down here in southern California there are even more of the little darlings. Every spring they come around and sip the nectar out of flowers all over our yard. But this year we have a nest of our very own. It's cradled about eight feet off the ground in

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151712818620191802006-06-30T16:59:00.000-07:002006-07-01T09:52:54.980-07:00

Well, it must be. I got not one, but two different email messages today from two different companies, proclaiming that crochet is back. Gads. Okay. I'm old enough. I get to say, been there, done that. I was around for all the granny square skirts and funky ponchos in the 1960s. Yes, I remember back that far—sometimes it's easier, trust me. Not that I always want to remember those styles. Egads. I

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151680383339673782006-06-30T08:04:00.000-07:002006-06-30T08:13:03.410-07:00

All of us over at the original Threads board have gotten really tired of the shenanigans that kept happening over there, so we decided to move it. The next thing was to figure out where to move it. I talked with Dave, and he thought that we should have plenty of room on our server. Then the thing was to choose which software to run. Gads. I'd no idea there were so many. Dave's big into the free

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151621185194778732006-06-29T15:24:00.000-07:002006-06-29T16:11:07.706-07:00

This week's questions were suggested by Marie. Do you ever reread your books? I spent a goodly percentage of my life never re-reading books. Well, except for S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders, which I read about a bazillion times when I was in junior high. Actually, I read nothing but this book until a "friend" stole it from me when she was staying over night at our house, and I never replaced the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151617730757528632006-06-29T14:34:00.000-07:002006-06-29T14:54:59.470-07:00

I was over on Margene's blog just a few minutes ago, and noticed a new—well, new to me—link. Sniff. Yup. I sniff yarn. It goes something like this: Me: "New yarn. Yum!" As I push my face into the middle of the ball of yarn and breathe deeply. Dave: "What are you doing?" Me: "Smelling the yarn." Dave: "Why?" Me: "Because it's yummy." Dave: "What does it smell like?" Me: "Yarn." Dave:

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151612148609924782006-06-29T13:13:00.000-07:002006-06-29T13:21:16.860-07:00

Was it yesterday? Don't know. Maybe it was the day before. Anyway, one day this week, guess what I got! Yup. The blue June sheep for Project Spectrum. Here the other sheep are saying, "Hello!" Aren't they adorable? I giggle when I see them all together. :-)

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151608750965930202006-06-29T12:10:00.000-07:002006-06-29T12:23:01.463-07:00

Everything seems normal and fine, and yet, because of Dad, it's not. Life just seems odd right now. I'm out of sorts. I looked at my blog today, and realized that I never even posted yesterday. It's noon, and I finally posted today's question over at Booking Through Thursday. That normally happens much sooner. I forgot it was Thursday. Or forgot about the meme, or something. I don't know. Thank

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151465742396373242006-06-27T20:25:00.000-07:002006-06-27T20:46:28.946-07:00

Oh, Dad. Daddy. Daddyo. Pop. Pops. Paps. Pappy. Dad. Never "father." Dad. Today, my mother, your brother, and your sister-in-law, took you up to Mount Diablo, and found the perfect "spot." Completely legal. Sanctioned. All Is dotted, all Ts crossed. And the perfect place found. On the side of the mountain near home. The mountain you climbed. Often. Always. When I was a kid we could see Mt. Diablo

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151352963825449522006-06-26T13:09:00.000-07:002006-06-26T13:16:03.873-07:00

I may not have posted about my Kaffe Fasset sweater for a while, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been working on it! In fact, I got all of the main pieces knit up at Mom's house earlier this month, and since then I've knit the pockets, the button bands and selvedges, and just last night I sewed down the selvedges and started picking up stitches for the collar. Woohoo! That sleeve isn't sewn

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1151077163823027562006-06-23T08:22:00.000-07:002006-06-23T08:44:18.126-07:00

I'm not sure what happened to it. I had such plans. I even got up early. But the next thing I knew, poof! It was gone. I didn't go to the post office. I didn't go to the grocery store. I didn't post in my blog. Most of the afternoon was taken up with the beginnings of moving the Threads board home to our server here, but it didn't take the whole day to do the pittance I did with that, did it?

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1150923351833271002006-06-21T13:27:00.000-07:002006-06-21T13:55:52.203-07:00

Stitching large Have you ever used a magnifying glass while stitching? If so, did you find it helpful? Yup. I sure do. Age is rearing it's ugly head, and I can no longer focus on small little things like I could when I was younger. It sucks. But, I have my handy-dandy magnifying glass, and I use it with abandon, especially when I'm stitching over one, but occasionally even when I'm stitching

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1150907376755534932006-06-21T09:04:00.000-07:002006-06-21T09:39:04.363-07:00

How many cross stitch books do you own and how often do you use them? Before I even start to count them up, let me just say that I have many, many more knitting books these days that I do stitching books. Many more. But I have been known to collect stitching books, too. Let's see... Over to the right of my desk there are nine cross-stitch books, one of which is a huge book of alphabets and

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1150847096049491782006-06-20T16:39:00.000-07:002006-06-20T16:44:56.050-07:00

Yup. You'd think it'd be a simple thing. But alas. It seems that it's going to be a major pita. I want a frame for this picture of Dad and me. The rub is that the photo's 42 years old, and so the picture size is odd. It's only 3.5 x 3.5 inches. And no, a 4 inch frame won't do, as the guy in the store suggested. The only 3.5 inch square frames they had at Aaron Brothers had sparklies and bugs

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1150845914337580372006-06-20T16:12:00.000-07:002006-06-20T16:36:20.096-07:00

On Sunday afternoon Dave and I went to the pub for a couple pints (yum). On the way home we were winding our way through a hilly neighborhood near ours, and I saw a flash of pink by the side of the road. Dave said, "It's the Pink Panther! Go back!" The Pink Panther? Huh? "It's a plushy Pink Panther." Well, I had to go back to take a look. I pulled up to the area in question, and yes! It's a huge

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1150820868012940702006-06-20T09:20:00.000-07:002006-06-20T09:27:48.066-07:00

I had my six week checkup with my doctor last week, the day after Dave and I got home. In spite of everything that's been happening, she is very pleased with my healing progress. And wants me to start exercising. Exer-who? Yes. Ugly word that. I'm now to walk for thirty minutes each day, a good, brisk, aerobic walk, five days per week. I am also to start doing isometric exercises for my abs. Then

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1150739864440918782006-06-19T10:37:00.000-07:002006-06-19T11:31:30.036-07:00

Before my mother was born, her parents and her older sister lived in the Philippines for a number of years. When Grandma returned home to the States, she brought with her many beautiful things. A few of which are currently in my possession, three more now than there were a few weeks ago. I am now the very proud owner of three gorgeous cloisonne vases that I remember having lived in Grandma's

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1150499334647410332006-06-16T15:51:00.000-07:002006-06-16T16:20:21.543-07:00

In addition to my blue-eyed dad, whom I miss very much, and my blue-eyed hubby, who is currently downstairs in his home office, there has always been a lot of blue in my life. Here is some of it. There are more photos to take on another day. These I took on June 1, hoping to get them posted to start off this month's Project Spectrum. Best laid plans, and all that... Clockwise from the upper

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1150395457553988922006-06-15T10:57:00.000-07:002006-06-15T11:56:19.076-07:00

Vic. 1932 – 2006. Tall. Handsome. Twinkling blue eyes. A ready smile. Always a kind word. Patient. Laughter and good times always nearby. Smart. Korean War veteran. A lover of nature and the great outdoors. Loving husband. Fabulous friend. The best father ever. On Friday, June 2, Mom called to let me know that Dad had been sick all week with what appeared to be a cold or the flu. Late Saturday

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1150476141450846832006-06-15T09:39:00.000-07:002006-06-16T09:44:30.576-07:00

I thought it was about time that I cleared out my list of books read so far this year. The list is getting rather long, and it takes quite a while for it to scroll through now. Well, it did. I've moved the list to this post in order to archive it. The most recently read books are at the end of the list. S is for Silence by Sue Grafton The Specialists by Lawrence Block The Burglar in the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1149658134478470342006-06-06T22:28:00.000-07:002006-06-06T22:28:54.506-07:00

You are all so wonderful. Thank you so much for your kind notes. My father passed away yesterday morning, Monday, June 5, 2006. His breathing slowed until it simply stopped. His end was peaceful and pain free. My mom was with him. My plane was just landing, so I missed him. But, I did get to the hospital, and was able to say goodbye to him. There will be a memorial service for him at Mom's next

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1149484717876434622006-06-04T22:14:00.000-07:002006-06-15T16:15:04.560-07:00

Whenever life pulls at me, I think of this little volume of prose I was given back in 1975. I had a friend, Nancy, in high school, who was sick and I didn't know it, terribly ill. She died on December 19, 1974. After Christmas that year I rode my bike over to her house and left a note for her in the mailbox. I was worried. Hadn't seen her. Normally saw her daily. The day I left that note in the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1149432757218673012006-06-04T07:49:00.000-07:002006-06-04T07:52:37.266-07:00

I was going to post some photos I took the other day with blue things in my home. However, last night, June 4, I received a call that none of us ever wants. My father is in a coma, and the doctor expects him to live for only another 72 hours. I will be going out of town because of this, and don't know when I'll be back. I'll try to post updates when I'm gone, but don't know if I'll be able to or

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1149182515108779752006-06-01T10:03:00.000-07:002006-06-03T20:36:19.043-07:00

Being, uh, somewhat under the weather in May, I didn't get all my May spectrum photos posted. There are a lot more green things around my house (and in my closet) than in these photos, but they'll have to wait for some other photo project. For now this montage... Starting at the top left is a gorgeous blue-green bowl that my aunt and uncle gave to us for a wedding present. I just love it!

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1149169751402634052006-06-01T06:37:00.000-07:002006-06-01T06:49:11.523-07:00

Do you collect charts by one particular designer, yet have never stitched anything by that designer? If so, which designer and why do you collect the charts but have not yet stitched any of them? I'm not currently collecting any designer's charts, but I have in the past. I collected a whole bunch of Teresa Wentzler's designs (though by no means all) before I stitched even one. I love her designs

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1149085560813865712006-05-31T07:16:00.000-07:002006-05-31T08:47:34.393-07:00

I received the latest Knitter's magazine in the mail yesterday. I'm definately looking forward to reading Perry Klass's latest essay (I love reading her stuff), but for once the cover pattern is one I'm totally in love with. And I'm not just talking about the picture on the cover, but the pictures inside the mag, too. LOL I usually fall right out of love with the cover design when I see the huge

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1149033138652216362006-05-30T16:42:00.000-07:002006-05-31T06:51:55.413-07:00

I just realized that I completely left out one very important aspect of my recovery. My cat! I'm sorry, sweet kitty. Ricki was sitting at the connecting door between the garage and the house when Dave brought me home. The second I walked in the door she gave me this strange look, then gave my leg a good sniff. She knew something was wrong. She knew I wasn't feeling well. Ricki took it on

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1149022783840236492006-05-30T13:39:00.000-07:002006-05-31T06:50:59.170-07:00

I've started this post several times, and, as you can tell, haven't managed to finish it yet. I'm really quite good at not thinking of unpleasant things, just put them out of my mind. I know it's not always good to do that, but there ya go. I do it. I have a feeling this is going to end up being quite a long post. If you make it to the end I'll be amazed. :-) Anyway... Backing up. Yes. I'm

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148942556938936162006-05-29T15:32:00.000-07:002006-05-29T15:42:36.980-07:00

It's amazing how much knitting progress even I can make in just a few days when I don't have to work all day long! The large needles and fat yarn definitely help, as well. I now have the entire back done, and just a tad more than half of the right front. Construction on this sweater is interesting. Once you get to the top of the shoulders you put the stitches for the left front on a stitch

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148769759955050142006-05-27T15:33:00.000-07:002006-05-27T15:51:31.693-07:00

Colonial knot Judy, I searched Google for colonial knot and found a bunch of different sites with pictures and descriptions of how to do it. My favorite has actual photographs. Please note (if you don't already know, which you probably do): anti-clockwise is what we call counter-clockwise here in the States. My second favorite is a series of line-drawings that clearly show the steps. SBQ Mary,

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148659284367140312006-05-26T08:46:00.000-07:002006-05-26T09:01:24.373-07:00

What are the last five books that you finished reading? Nerilka's Story by Anne McCaffrey, The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy, Crystal Clear by Elizabeth Cadell, A Palm for Mrs. Polifax by Dorothy Gilman, and Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich. How long did it take you to read them? I read all five of those books within the last three weeks, so none of them took more than four days to read, on average

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148657883236324502006-05-26T08:35:00.000-07:002006-05-26T08:51:14.586-07:00

I finally found a picture of Mirabilia's June release, White Christmas. I don't think it matches Nora's description at all. I'm very disappointed by that. I thought she'd be dressed all in red, and that there'd be a lot more white involved. What is Nora's thing with all this gold all the time? Knots Yes, they're colonial knots not continental knots. Thank you, Cheryl!

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148575106296239982006-05-25T09:33:00.000-07:002006-05-25T09:42:02.653-07:00

What is your favorite specialty stitch? Which one is your least favorite? Why? My all-time favorite specialty stitch is a daisy chain. I've loved making them since I was a kid and first learned to embroider. Single daisy stitches are fun, too, but those chains are just so totally cool, especially when I manage to get all the links the same size! My least favorite stitch? Don't know if this

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148572650798749152006-05-25T08:47:00.000-07:002006-05-25T08:57:30.843-07:00

It progresses! I'm now about two-thirds of the way up the back of my sweater. There are a couple of areas that I'm mildly unhappy about, but not enough to rip them out. I'll just tweak a couple colors when I repeat the color placement on the front and arms, is all. I'm amazed at how quickly this is knitting up. Although, I've never had so many hours in a day to devote to knitting before. It's

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148407560999746692006-05-23T11:01:00.000-07:002006-05-23T11:06:01.000-07:00

Is three a herd? Three doesn't seem to be enough to constitute a flock. "Herd" sounds too lofty for a trio of sheep as well. The yellow April sheep arrived the day of my surgery. It was an interesting puffy envelope, so Dave brought it with him the next day when he came to visit. Cute! Just yesterday the green one arrived. These things are adorable. I used the yellow and pink ones when I was

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148407065497503202006-05-23T10:27:00.000-07:002006-05-23T10:57:45.966-07:00

We've all heard that Nora Corbett of Mirabilia is branching out. She recently released the two beautiful dragonfly designs. Well, next month she's releasing two more designs under her own name, Portrait of Lauren in Blue, and Portrait of Caroline in Pink. They're very pretty. I probably won't be stitching them, as like most of her designs, they're just not my style, but I'm sure she'll sell a

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148399863165149932006-05-23T08:48:00.000-07:002006-05-23T10:06:18.526-07:00

Dave thinks it looks like a quilt made up of scraps of fabric, but instead it's made of expensive yarn. He does have a point. I love it, though, especially when I see it laid out on the floor like this. It's quite fun, don't you think? I'm continuing to be more careful of the colors as I come to each new block, and it's definitely taking longer, but I think the time investment is worthwhile.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148312265761201672006-05-22T08:28:00.000-07:002006-05-22T08:37:46.726-07:00

Catching up on a couple SBQs that I missed while convalescing... Do you or have you stitched with over-dyed threads? (Weeks Dye Works, The Gentle Art Sampler Threads, Six Strand Sweets, etc.) If so, what is your opinion concerning them? If not, why not? I've used Weeks Dye Works threads a couple times, as they came in kits. I liked them. The color changes were fun, and the thread was quite soft

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148232539601545242006-05-21T10:20:00.000-07:002006-05-21T10:38:23.520-07:00

Yesterday morning, my sweater looked like this, and I was distinctly unhappy with a number of the color combinations. The yarns that Fassett used were obviously completely different than the ones I'd chosen, and his chart just wasn't working for me. So I tore it out, clear back to the second block of color. This was the second ripping in two days. How glad I am that I chose a pattern that's knit

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1148061437720964122006-05-19T10:40:00.000-07:002006-05-19T10:57:17.836-07:00

Every day I'm feeling a little better than the day before. I've been knitting again for about five days, and it's wonderful. I've nearly finished up my Pomatomus socks (photo pending). I need to try them on properly. I did a different toe treatment on each sock, and will need to decide which I like better. It's still a little awkward to reach my feet properly, so that task has been put off for

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1147877053723868772006-05-17T07:42:00.000-07:002006-05-17T07:44:13.766-07:00

I'm sitting. In my desk chair. I've been here for fifteen minutes. Wheee! LOL Amazing how good it feels to be able to sit properly again. I'm about to move, though. Still can't do it for very long, but I'm so much better than a week ago, it's astounding to me. Checkup with my doctor is tomorrow...

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1147802548768088282006-05-16T10:47:00.000-07:002006-05-16T11:08:11.496-07:00

Vogue Knitting has a new volume out in their Stitchionary series. This one's a book of more than 200 cable patterns. I'm drooling. I'm especially drooling over this gorgeous cable sweater that's pictured in the flyer I got. The construction is similar to one of my favorite sweaters, a boucle I knit years ago, but it's all cables separated with garter stitch. Ooh. While I was on their site, I

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1147720361304747902006-05-15T12:07:00.000-07:002006-05-15T12:12:41.453-07:00

I am recovering, a little better each day. I can almost sort of sit in a regular chair again. It's ever so much better than trying to stand here and read email and type at an awkward angle. LOL My two-week appointment with my doctor is on Thursday. Can't believe it's been a week and a half already. I'll write more soon, when I can sit a little more comfortably, but wanted to post this brief

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1146610229671216082006-05-02T15:38:00.000-07:002006-05-02T15:50:29.716-07:00

I've been trying not to think about tomorrow all day. Don't like to. But people keep calling. Mom, friends, the hospital. It's wonderful. I love hearing from everyone (well, maybe not the hospital). But still. I'm so looking forward to tomorrow being done with. Yes, Nicki, by this time tomorrow the deed will be done, and I'll be resting in my room. That's something to look forward to. So is

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1146609120981657272006-05-02T15:28:00.000-07:002006-05-02T15:32:01.050-07:00

It rarely feels like I did anything much, but then when I compare it with the last photo, I usually feel a little better. I've gotten quite a bit done on the left side, and some on the right side. It's still a blob, but a bigger one! Though it is still just clouds and sky, by the time I get to the bottom of this page I'll have her hand done. Something to look forward to...

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1146592896847605222006-05-02T10:27:00.000-07:002006-05-02T16:40:35.850-07:00

It's May. That means that the awful yellow/orange month is over, and we're into the fabulous green month of May. Woohoo! If you hadn't already guessed by the color of my blog, my board, and my online store, yes, I do like the color green. In fact, the walls of my home office are green, too, as is the little powder room upstairs. And my big old couch that I inherited from my grandmother (photo

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1146590614428187752006-05-02T10:20:00.000-07:002006-05-02T10:23:34.473-07:00

In some ways I want today to drag out, last forever, to put off tomorrow getting here. In some ways I want it to go quickly so that tomorrow will come sooner, and I'll be able to get it over with that much sooner. In some ways I'm glad I have no ability to change the movement of time. Egads. The responsibility of it all is not something I'm equal to. Thank goodness I can't do that, though

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12521281.post-1146504666628544092006-05-01T10:00:00.000-07:002006-05-01T22:08:35.553-07:00

Ten of us got together at Sue's house on Saturday for an afternoon of stitching, sharing, and eating. Sue was a marvelous hostess. I understand that the last of us left at about 11 p.m. We all had so much fun, no one wanted to leave. As usual, it was wonderful to see all the projects everyone brought, both finished and in process. Debi finished her "I Love Chocolate" piece during the afternoon.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11700138286943949644noreply@blogger.com3