M a d e l i n e T o s h

days are like that....

So, whenever you might wonder what to do with all of those wooden spools in your sewing box, here could possibly be your answer, especially if you have a wee one who is slightly obsessed with traffic laws and their requisit signage.

wooden spools + internet connection + tape + crayola pencils = hours of pure kiddo bliss.

Halloween is almost here and the wee one seems to be taken with all of the lights that can be attributed to all of the upcoming holiday's.

Case in point:

Note: daddy-o gets the photo credit for this one. I just happend to find it while uploading the photos on the camera and almost fell over.

It is still oppresively hot down here, but bearable in the evenings. The wee one likes to wander along the trails in our local park and cross the suspension bridge to drop leaves in the creek below.

I think he delights most in choosing which path to wander down when he comes to an intersection. The process usually unfolds with him pausing, looking both ways, smiling and then declaring dis one when selecting a path.

He actually spotted a path I had not seen before, which took us right down to the creekbed.

He softly shooed away the fish and then proceeded to plunk rocks into the shallow waters.

The sun set so we headed back, retreating from the mosquitoes and returning home for some cold milk and a swim in the bathtub.

A rare cool morning...

This morning is crisp and cool, an excuse to open the windows to refresh the stale indoor air. Stifling Texas heat has hit. I never miss it and always long for the cooler months given the fact that Summer often runs into late October in Texas.

Recent thrifting above, revealed my mind is still heavlily wrapped around Summer. I am constantly drawn to everything with strawberries and anything a bright, buttery yellow.

Clarabell and Henrietta are still snoozing this morning, as it's too cool to let them out just yet. They are slowly venturing out to explore new corners of the yard, scratching, pecking, fluffing their feathers and partaking of cool dirt baths.

Lately, I have been feeding what seems to be a full flock of mourning doves, plus a few sparrows, bluejays, mocking birds and cardinals, with sunflower seeds. Each morning they slowly arrive one by one, perching in the huge oak tree canopy, waiting for me to let out the chicks and litter the ground with the seeds.

A pair of tiny house wren's have decided to nest deep inside the rose bush thicket. They flick and twitter along the laundrey line where I seem to bother them quite often. I am wondering if it is time to move the laundrey line as it seems to be becoming one (read entangled) with the rose shrubbery and the Althea bushes.

A recent walk in the woods this past weekend, revealed these two beauties in addition to a forgotten suspension bridge over Mary's Creek where we dropped acorns and leaves to the water below.

Both moth's were lying, as is, on the ground a close distance from one another. After flipping through my Peterson guide and with the generous aid of Eren, and her recommendation of a great website, I settled on the moniker for these two moth's. They seem to be a type of Giant Silkworm moth called a Polyphemus moth.

I neglected to place anything for scale in the photo but the wingspan of these creatures is a good 4 inches wide!

So, the moth's led to nice walk in the woods and possibly inspiration for a winter quilt for the wee one.

a wish list and an introduction to clarabell

Has anyone pre-ordered this yet? I flipped through a galley copy and fell in love with the projects in this book!! This may very well have to be my first book review. The birds are definitely going to adorn my Christmas tree this year.

And speaking of birds.

Say peep to Clarabell!

The newest member of the family. She is a week old white rock hen (hopefully) who has found a best friend in the little wee. Here he is waiting with eyes closed for her to peck his nose and trying not to laugh.

And here is Clarabell's best profile.

pure preciousness and hopefully some fresh eggs. Now off to listen to some welcome rain that has ended that dastardly hot spell.

tomten and toadstools

So I have cast on for the wee's tomten (it seemed only appropriate since he so loved this tomten from the library book) while waiting for more yarn to arrive for the hiker's waistcoat.

I grabbed a favorite sweatshirt of wee's and measured the circumference on it to be about 28 inches. So I worked up a gauge swatch, cast on 112 sts to some size 7 addis and have had trouble putting this thing down ever since.

I started with the Marr Haven wool at the border and then just started picking up different colors as I went along.

I ordered some Beaverslide Dry Goods yarn in greens, blues and a deep bison brown for a completely different project but they worked their way into the tomten very quickly. A strip of a leftover handspun single left on the bobbin, a few rows of various tweeds and did I mention I cannot put this thing down.

I cannot say enough good things about Beaverslide Dry Goods yarns, so incredibly soft and such crunchy, granola, earthy colors that just melt together like a landscape when blended.

MMmmm and for the i-cord trim. I spun up this wee skein of toadstool handspun from this South African fine roving, my first time spinning this stuff and it is so great to work with, very soft, yet easy to draw with a nice, long staple length.

..

and the wee skein...

Solstice and a Waistcoat

Today is the longest day of the year and the shortest night. It seemed a perfect reason to share this picture of wee's new blanket. He received this from his Nana for his birthday. It is so very soft and creamy being pure superwash wool.

And an update on the waistcoat.

I am a bit farther along than this as my new skeins arrived in the post today. I know I should purchase all of the skeins for a project up front, but being so indecisive I like to buy a skein to swatch with first and then if I love the outcome return for more.

This yarn is so heavenly and soft, a soothing knit as it indulges your fingers gliding thru so softly.

I am smitten by this yarn. The hint of lavender against the pale fawn base is so different and beautiful in the daylight.

...a simple and easy pattern and one I am enjoying every minute of.

Oh and this arrived today as well.

A meme that looked good at the time...

More rain...

More dying, this time some kid mohair. It really looks like the sky above our little house right now.

Since it is raining and I feel somewhat reflective, here is a little q and a.

48 Things You Could Care Less About

1. FIRST NAME?  Amy

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?  Yes, the Amy in the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. 

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? When John Henry (my husband) was in the hopsital for surgery and they started to think he was getting worse during his treatment.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?  Yes, I think it fairs well for being left handed. 

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Black Forest Ham.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I don't know. I am not very insightful as to my personality. I like befriending people that are somewhat opposite on the personality scale. I guess I like the variety.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Uhh no.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Thick creamy yogurt with "bare naked" brand ganola on top.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No. I usually wear shoes that do not require stings or lacing. I would rather twist yarn.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?  Yes.  I am a red-head. We develop thick skin from oh about the age of 2.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? I don't know about a flavor but goodness I cannot get enough of Braum's vanilla mix with M n M's mixed in!

14. SHOE SIZE?  Let's just say huge. 9-10.

5. RED OR PINK? Pink, of course. The question is only what shade.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My nocturnal sleeping habits and my lack of compassion in some regards. Oops that is 2.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? The innocence of childhood. But I love watching the wee's innocence flourish.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? ?.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Olive green yoga pants, handknit socks and a chocolate colored shirt. I guess I was filling earthy today.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Uh, yeah the vanilla mix (see ques. 13) of course.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? More rain dripping from the roof as we have yet to purchase gutters for this little house. But rain is a welcome sound in Texas. The lack of it can be a disaster.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Burnt Sienna

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Lavender.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My closest friend Delia.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Eyes. The eyes are the window to the - you know the rest.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? Sure! 

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Twinings hot tea with honey and heavy cream.

28. FAVORITE SPORT? I love playing basketball and volleyball but I hate watching them. I love watching horse competitions, dressage, side-saddle and jumping competitions.

29. EYE COLOR? Hazel. My mother's were cat green and my father's were a warm brown so it makes sense.

30. HAT SIZE? Medium? I don't know. I think a large head would be nice as it might portend a greater amount of brain mass.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No. 20 20 baby. 

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Tex-mex. I have had withdrawls symptoms when I lived abroad before. The addicition is intense, especially regarding cheese enchaladas.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings. I cannot watch scary movies. They really give me nightmares!

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Autumn. That isn't an option but that is my answer. Texas doesn't have much in the way of seasons. But Autumn I love for the smells, cinammon, cloves, spices, pumpkins a chance to wear all of that wool I work with, the colors.....

36. HUGS OR KISSES? Big bear hugs.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? A dense chocolate pound cake or a carrot cake with homemade cream cheese frosting!

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Dunno.

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? The person I don't send it to.

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?  Jane Eyre. I cannot understand why I neglected to read it for so long. But my favorite author is Joan Didion, anything Joan Didion.

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE No pad.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Frontline on PBS. Thank goodness for PBS.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Distant thunder. Wee's breathing when he is asleep. Chickadee bird calls.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles, which is odd because my Dad has every stones album ever recorded.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Prague or Florence. I don't know which is further.

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? My hips are double jointed so I always sit in a funny indian style position.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Fort Worth, Texas

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Copied from Purly's blog.

By the way these socks from the Erika Knight book look so cozy right now! It must be the blue.............

1. FIRST NAME?  Amy

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?  Yes, the Amy in the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. 

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? When John Henry (my husband) was in the hopsital for surgery and they started to think he was getting worse during his treatment.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?  Yes, I think it fairs well for being left handed. 

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Black Forest Ham.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I don't know. I am not very insightful as to my personality. I like befriending people that are somewhat opposite on the personality scale. I guess I like the variety.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Uhh no.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Thick creamy yogurt with "bare naked" brand ganola on top.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No. I usually wear shoes that do not require stings or lacing. I would rather twist yarn.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?  Yes.  I am a red-head. We develop thick skin from oh about the age of 2.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? I don't know about a flavor but goodness I cannot get enough of Braum's vanilla mix with M n M's mixed in!

14. SHOE SIZE?  Let's just say huge. 9-10.

5. RED OR PINK? Pink, of course. The question is only what shade.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My nocturnal sleeping habits and my lack of compassion in some regards. Oops that is 2.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? The innocence of childhood. But I love watching the wee's innocence flourish.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? ?.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Olive green yoga pants, handknit socks and a chocolate colored shirt. I guess I was filling earthy today.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Uh, yeah the vanilla mix (see ques. 13) of course.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? More rain dripping from the roof as we have yet to purchase gutters for this little house. But rain is a welcome sound in Texas. The lack of it can be a disaster.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Burnt Sienna

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Lavender.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My closest friend Delia.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Eyes. The eyes are the window to the - you know the rest.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? Sure! 

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Twinings hot tea with honey and heavy cream.

28. FAVORITE SPORT? I love playing basketball and volleyball but I hate watching them. I love watching horse competitions, dressage, side-saddle and jumping competitions.

29. EYE COLOR? Hazel. My mother's were cat green and my father's were a warm brown so it makes sense.

30. HAT SIZE? Medium? I don't know. I think a large head would be nice as it might portend a greater amount of brain mass.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No. 20 20 baby. 

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Tex-mex. I have had withdrawls symptoms when I lived abroad before. The addicition is intense, especially regarding cheese enchaladas.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings. I cannot watch scary movies. They really give me nightmares!

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Autumn. That isn't an option but that is my answer. Texas doesn't have much in the way of seasons. But Autumn I love for the smells, cinammon, cloves, spices, pumpkins a chance to wear all of that wool I work with, the colors.....

36. HUGS OR KISSES? Big bear hugs.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? A dense chocolate pound cake or a carrot cake with homemade cream cheese frosting!

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Dunno.

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? The person I don't send it to.

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?  Jane Eyre. I cannot understand why I neglected to read it for so long. But my favorite author is Joan Didion, anything Joan Didion.

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE No pad.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Frontline on PBS. Thank goodness for PBS.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Distant thunder. Wee's breathing when he is asleep. Chickadee bird calls.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles, which is odd because my Dad has every stones album ever recorded.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Prague or Florence. I don't know which is further.

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? My hips are double jointed so I always sit in a funny indian style position.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Fort Worth, Texas

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Copied from Purly's blog.

By the way these socks from the Erika Knight book look so cozy right now! It must be the blue.............

Alabaster, creamy roses and the soothing sound of rain drops

The rain continues... It has been years since it has rained all day, day after day. Wee and I ventured outside to grab a small hand full of flowers in between the periods during the gushing rain and the light sprinkle. He added a dandelion or two of course, nothing for him is ever complete without one. My favorite rose is the creamy one on the top right. It smells divine, a deep but not to heavy musky scent of an old rose instead of the staid smell of the new hybrids.

I must have had milky tones on my mind as I photographed the rose on my mother's old alabaster table top and later that same day while wee was napping came up with this...

... and of course I had to give it the moniker of alabaster as well! The weeks forecast includes a great deal more rain and that is something I welcome as everything is so lush and green as it was in my Georgia childhood. The local classical station seems to be inspired this evening as well. They have played a soothing line up of threatrical songs, soft arias and even some really nice and dreamy jazz.

Oh and a hint about the secret... I dyed up a some seawool this evening and the yarn is beautiful with such a subtle sheen.