Another Poem Pillow...

I wanted to needle-felt another pillow with a totally different look.  I used 3 small felts, pieced together in an irregular shape.  (I wanted to use up stuff from my stash.) Although you can't see them, I sewed on a lot of beads and pearls for some sparkly details. The intent was to make the overlapping pieces look like overlapping waves on the shore. 

Another favorite poem is "maggy and milly and molly and may" by e.e. cummings.  I've taken the last line for the pillow.

maggy and milly and molly and may

went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang

so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and        

milly befriended a stranded star

whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing

which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone

as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)

its always ourselves we find in the sea 

Guests at the bird feeder

So, guess who's helping themselves at the bird feeder?

These little guys are funny to watch.  I don't know how in the world they found their way out to my neighborhood though.  They must have been stow-a-ways on somebody's delivery truck...

Little Bunny

The little one was out with the momma about a month ago; I guess he was finally big enough to be out in the open without danger.  He (or she) sure is cute...and rather fearless.  This little bunny was determined to get to my grass for some nibbling, and I was determined he should find his way back out of the yard and graze on the field grass.  Anyway, I was talking to him, telling him how cute he was, and he just let me get closer than I would have imagined, about an arm's length away. So, I went for the camera, hoping I could get close again and snap some shots.  No problem.  This little bunny was not a bit scared; he even seemed to be at ease with the camera.  So, here's his photo shoot.

Then, I spent the next hour attempting to "bunny proof" the fenced yard. 

And it's off the needles!

Modicum Hat

Once I got to the decreases, the hat just flew off the needles.  But I had a lot of ends to weave in before I could cross the finish line.  Now I didn't leave them all to the end; that would have been close to overwhelming.  I stopped every few inches and got the tapestry needle out to weave in the loose ends.  Even so, it still felt like it took a quite a while to finish.  That's the downside to changing colors every three rows.  Ah, but no pain, no gain, as they say.

A new cast-on

I started a new knitting project on circular needles...a hat...also a class I'll be offering this Fall.  Knitting a hat with a variety of scrap yarns for a color stranding pattern seemed like it may have some appeal.  Also, one can learn to knit with both hands with this pattern.  I'm excited to see what it looks like when finished, but it may take a while, as the project doesn't seem to be moving quickly.  I suppose changing yarns slows me down. 

Minor felting adjustments

I think some minor adjustments made a difference for the better.  On the word "little," I changed the form of the first "l" to match the second one.  Then, I added two tiny paw prints.  So, now, it's finished.  I'm ready to move on to the next one.

I'm felting...it must be nearing Fall...

I've got a felting project I'm getting ready for a class.  I came up with the idea of needle felting a Poetry Pillow.  I took a line from a famous poem, in this case, "Fog," by Carl Sandburg.  I used one of Billie's dusty purple felted mats to needle felt the top of the pillow, and I used a portion of Colleen's gray felted pieces to create the back. 

I haven't sewn it together yet...and I'm still looking at it, wondering if I should move the word "little" over to the right a bit.  It's good for me to get away from a project like this, and then when I look at it again, I see it with a fresh perspective.  The flat piece I was working on looks a little different now that it's puffed out by the pillow insert.

A ride under the Ramshorn...

Another ride with 4wheeler friends took us to an area just north of Dubois.  We followed the Brent Creek Road and then the Burrough's Creek Loop.

At this stop, I asked them to line up for a photo, and this is what I got! Ha. 

Anyway, a little further up the trail is this pond under the Ramshorn. 

The next stop was at Ramshorn Lake for lunch.

Then, Rainbow Lake. Here is where we could see the results of the fire that burned through here last summer.  The new growth ( I think the name of the pink flower is Fireweed) was a beautiful bed of color, contrasted against the charcoal trees.  

We also saw Virgin Lake and Burnt Timber Lake, but I didn't stop for photos.  This turned out to be a 29 mile ride.  The road was unexpectedly rough in places because of very deep ruts formed by the heavy snows, rain, and run-off this year. It certainly was a pretty ride, and I was amazed at the amount of wildflowers still blooming this late in the summer. 

More more thumb, then done...I mean finished.

I'm making some fingerless gloves for a friend in California.  These will be just the ticket for taking the chill off a morning walk or drive during the winter months.

They are made out of Baby Alpaca, one of my favorite fibers!  This is a new pattern for me too; I've not previously made the fancy fold-over hems at the wrists and fingers, but I really like the way it looks.

I have to say that I had a rough start.  The pattern called for size 5 needles, and the opening of the mitts were huge!  I was already past the cuff pattern...and ripped it all out.  Ouch!  So, then I started again with the same number of stitches, but used a size 4 needle.   I got to the same spot. The sizing was much better, but it looked as though the mitts were going to still be a bit big.  They would have probably been OK for someone like me with large hands, but for my friend, this was not going to work.  After a discussion with my knitting buddies, I decided it was worth a try to change to size 3 needles and continue knitting.  I cast on the second mitt right away so I could make sure I changed needle size at the same point.  Now the mitts look just like the picture on the pattern, and they fit perfectly.  So, I will need to write down a few "notes to self" on this pattern. 

Music in the mountains

Oh my, it's been busy around here...and I haven't found the time in front of the computer.  Anyway, I'm going to finish the story of Guitar Town.

I'll make mention of some of my favorite guitar players.  First up, it's Joe Robinson.  A few years ago he won the "Australia's Got Talent" competition; he's truely gifted!  I first saw him when he was just 17 years old; now he's around 20.  He's grown up and filled out, and he's trying to make his way into the guitar greats with his own style. I hope he makes it big.

John Jorgenson is another; he's a 2-time Grammy winner and a legend in the guitar world.  Over the weekend, I heard him play in three different bands he's put together: acoustic quartet, blue grass, and electric.  He can play anything!! I bought his latest blue grass CD; it's fantastic!!

Laurence Juber is another GREAT talent. (In the picture above, he's the one on the left.) He played with the Beatles for years. I HAD to buy his latest CD and get it signed by him. It's just him playing the guitar; it's lovely - tunes you're familiar with; and his skill is amazing. You can check all these guys out on iTunes or probably YouTube as well.

And finally, Tommy Emmanuel.  He is THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE GUITAR PLAYER I'VE EVER SEEN AND HEARD.  What he does, seems like it would be impossible to do.  And yet, he does it effortlessly and is a great showman.  Every part of his being "lives" the music. 

If you ever get the chance to see any of these guys, do it; you won't be disappointed.  They are some of the best in the world.  They will astound you.

A Colorado Mountain High

I traveled with my family in Colorado to an annual event at Copper Mountain Resort: Guitar Town.  This is my second time to attend...and it's unbelievably awesome.  The event draws top guitarists from the US, Australia, and Canada. It's two days of free entertainment from an outstanding list of performers.  It's a constant stream of music from noon to about 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Each artist does about a 40 minute set.

But first, here's the setting, as seen from the balcony of the rooms we were staying in.  Aw, the smell of fresh air, laced with pine. The elevation is above 9,000 ft. That's not always a welcoming aspect of the experience if you're a musician who lives at sea level. Many of the performers seemed to get winded pretty easily.  But the beauty of the setting for outdoor concerts is magnificent.

And here's what the stage looks like; we got out lawn chairs parked in the grass about 7 rows from the front, so it was pretty good.  More tomorrow...

Knit and Talk

I usually try to have some "knit and talk" projects.  Recently, all I had was "knit and concentrate" projects, so I needed something quick and easy from the stash.  Washcloths to the rescue.  And I knocked out 2 in no time.

Two bucks

No, not the monetary kind... Antelope.  These two young bucks have been casually crossing my property on a regular basis this past week. I took these photos through the window.  They are handsome animals... with interesting coloring. 

So, are ya comin', or what? You don't have to stop at every clump of grass.

Yeah, alright, I'm coming.

A ride out to Pinion Ridge

The weekend opened up another opportunity for a 4-wheeler ride...this time to Pinion Ridge on top of Union Pass. We rode 37 miles, round trip.  Much of it was in beautiful timber.  The higher in altitude we climbed, the more wildflowers we saw; we especially admired the Indian Paintbrush, which was particulary vibrant.

We rode on, until finally the trail climbed a hill, a grassy slope above the timber.  Here is where the view opens up and treats you to quite a great view of Green River Lake and the Wind River Mountains as you look to the east. 

Here we are at the trail's end.  If you look over your shoulder to the west, you can see the Grand Tetons, and to the north, the Pinnacles.  It's a grand view!  A haze was moving in and out of the valley, and the sunlight was changing constantly. It was difficult to capture a good image, but we sure enjoyed the view as we ate a late lunch on top of the mountain.

Driving back down the Union Pass Road, we found a field of purple flowers. Time for a final photo shoot.  The sky was looking pretty dramatic too.

It's finally a FO

I finished knitting the cotton tank top!  I tried it on, and it fit!  Yahoo. Tomorrow I will wash and block it; then, it will be truly finished and ready to wear!