ghana glam

Using these easy instructions, I made these earrings (+ some other pairs) using beads handmade in Ghana, plus some little blue ones I had from a stretched-out bracelet.






. . .

a little more snow (there is always more snow)

I dug this out (this plus one more snowstorm). It took 2 hours.



This is going to brain me:


Deep blue snow.


. . .

knitted ones and loved ones

RLY's apple cozy (now keeping apples everywhere warm [and unbruised-in-the-bag]) (I think this is a bit of leftover malabrigo):


LMV's fingerless gloves (misti alpaca bulky [brown], and leftovers from the kiddy hats):

(+ smooth doggy nose)


LTM's hat: I held the cream color double, the effect of which made the hat very cylindrical and probably too warm (leftover green from ALMcS's pompom hat, plus cream paton's classic wool, I think, and brown sheep bulky blue):


EEM's bday xmas tree scarf (misti alpaca handpaint bulky, garter stitch, size 13s):


+ xmas matching earband (headband? something), buttons courtesy of my mom's button box ("pattern" mine, inspired by PMcCMcS):

Scary spice, in use (+ doggy):


JEC's xmas scarf (more misti alpaca handpaint bulky yarn, garter stitch, size 13s):


The scarf in action, the picture also notable for being the scarf's recipient's wedding day to Mr. Cinch, there:


Happy.


The forced march through the xmas/birthday knitting is now complete. I now have to break myself of the video-viewing habit, which kept my brain in check while my fingers did the walking.

. . .

snow

crunch and crack

I got into a fender bender w/ the Country Squire (crunch). She and I and everyone else involved are fine, but for various reasons the incident necessitated me finding my own car. Voila:


Tragically, on the first day I bought it a rock jumped up and bit the windshield (crack). I'm over it now, though.

Anyway, we have here one of those adopt-and-rename situations. "Fit" is too tidy. It's a dead heat between The Red Menace and The City (Urban?) [E]Squire. I'll take votes and other suggestions too.

The ol' Country Squire is for sale now, if someone wants a mostly functional sweet old thing great for hauling your stuff around.

This blog seems to mostly be about vehicles.

. . .

pictures

Saw The September Issue, got excited about taking pictures again, drove home, yawn.

. . .

the truth-telling bradley turns 41

And gets a birthday present:





If you give them cuffs, they should fit bottles too.


Evidently the tabs on MHL cans are not similarly situated w/r/2 the can design. Fascinating. So much to learn about the high life.

. . .

pictures (Allied Chemical)

Probably the last 70-degree day in Nebraska this year (today, Dodge St.):



The Slowdown floor, during the Minabirds' debut (last week):



DMC et al. watching JB (Empty Room, a few weeks ago):


More Empty Room (same night):


Seatbelt (Country Squire, September sometime).


Sunny Day Back Porch (Sept.):


and let's not forget these good times (09/05/09):


I'm still working on pictures of the scooter. It's cold now.

(a later note: the pictures are really better if you click on & embiggen them)

. . .

too long

For some reason I have stopped taking photos and posting to this blog. So I will now attempt to rectify that. I like photos. I should take them. So here are a few from the past few weeks in reverse chronological order.

I made this hat for one of my colleagues at work. It is a great, rich brown color and I can't remember any more details than that. It is all ribs (k3, p2) has a cool decreasing sequence not particularly evident here but clear in the pictures with the pattern. Here's the pattern.





This past weekend, MLKJDay, and Inauguration Day were spent with my brother, his wife, and their dog. Once again, few photos were taken, but here's my brother with his wovel.



LTM in his Xmas apron. The apron was constructed according to this terrific pattern. The ties are adjustable so it should fit all manner of folks. I have no idea where the fabric is from--I just found it in one of my overflowing tubs. The green is a heavyweight and the blue/white used to be a tablecloth. Now it comprises the tie and the somewhat haphazard decorative patches.



Here, cutting up the best duck I've ever eaten.


Two weekends ago, SAH (I think those are her initials? hmm, can't remember), ARP and I attended the Benson Bunnies/Omaha North Vikings high school basketball game. The Bunnies and the Vikings are big rivals, I'm told. The Bunnies did well in the first quarter, and although their play deteriorated a lot in the following 3, they still managed to pull out a win. No doubt, I am obsessed with the fact that they are called the Bunnies. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the t-shirts that said, in scary font, BEWARE THE HARE.

The Runnin' Rabbits:


Bunny Pride:


SAH and ARP:


The tough-guy strangely-dressed-like-Rocky Bunny mascot:


Home of the Bunnies:


My brother's Xmas present. The pattern, modified in length and width for a tall, broad-shouldered guy, is Elizabeth Zimmermann's Ribwarmer. The yarn is Paton's Classic Wool Aran. This is the first time I've knitted an attached i-cord border and I think it worked out pretty well. I still need some practice in joining the end to the beginning. I attached an old tag with his name on it that I found in one of my mother's sewing boxes and would have posted a picture of it here, except, well, it has his name on it. It was also my first time blocking something and I wonder how people do it without getting those little waves where the pins are. They are especially noticeable along the bottom.



The Mystic Valley Band, my new officemates:



In other news, I have a terrific new roommate. Perhaps she too will appear here soon.

. . .