Thursday, September 27, 2007

Barky Bucky

Bucky is quite opinionated. Trinket says all that talk hurts his ears.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Happy Moon Festival


This is Chang Er. In Chinese legend, Chang Er lives on the moon, away from her family. Every year in the middle month of the Autumn season, on the fifteenth day, when the moon is the brightest of the year, people gather with their families and friends, eat moon cakes and other festive foods. People celebrate the togetherness of their union, with the circle of moon cake and the perfect circle of the bright moon. People sing to Chang Er, to the moon and remember the loved ones away from home.

I am blessed to have my circle of family and friends around, today, tomorrow, always.

May you and your loved ones a fine union on this festive day.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Bonsai Tunic Back Done

Previous mention is here



A closer look of the lace pattern



This is the yarn I'm using. The actual color is closer to hunter green, looks much lighter than that in the picture (on my screen any way).

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Sock puggie



Bucky has himself wrapped up by a pair of pretty socks -- not pictured, Bucky has his mom wrapped around his littlest toes.

The big flat spot on his forehead is my favorite place to plant a kiss.

(why do we have a Huggie's box in the background? the kid is eight years old and out of diapers thank you very much)

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Gartered Stripes Finale



Pattern: Stripe up the Band, by Candace Eisner Strick
Yarn: Ellen's half pint merino wool (varigated and lavender), Misty Alpaca (purple)
Needles: Size 6
Buttons: Hand crafted glass buttons from Knitting Arts in Saratoga
Started: September 2006
Finished: September 2007
Progress pictures: Waist band, Body, Almost finished, Button band
Total cost: $120

(here is a closer shot of the buttons)

 

Thursday, September 13, 2007

The reluctant brothers



Trinket, doing a proper down on the left, is a fox terrier and chihuahua mix. He has a white paw (two white toes), a skinny long tail and a needle nose. Trinket is 12 years old and came to us at nine weeks as our first born.

Bucky, the black pug on the right, has a severe case of selective hearing due to the largeness of his ears and the emptiness between those large sized ears. Bucky will be 12 years old in about two months. We met those googly eyes on the day he turned eight weeks old.

The blanket was knitted with rug yarn and slightly felted.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

CCC Finished

CCC, Cushion Conglomeration Caper, was previously mentioned here.

The diagonal lines are much harder than I imagined, and I added more complication by using different yarns, and not counting my stitches. There were quite a few ripping and reknitting, now I'm just glad it's done.





This is what it supposed to look like.



No idea what it's going to be yet, very less likely to be a cushion caper. In my house pillows are dog toys or pitching target, at the best to be ignored in the guest room. No matter what, it will certainly need some nip and tuck to become useful.

I have a few other odds and ends swatches so I might just put them together to make a blanket.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Recent Reads

- (audio book) Pigs in Heaven, by Barbara Kingsolver. One of the first Kingsolver novels, about a woman with her adopted Cherokee daughter and the Cherokee nation working to take away the little girl. I'm married to a Cherokee man, so I won't say anything about the nation, but the book certainly did not make them look good. And they talk "tongues" in the South, who knew? When I was in South Carolina a roomful of people were stunned upon hearing my phone conversation with my brother in Chinese. Maybe they thought I was speaking in "tongue". On the scale of one to ten for story and writing, I'd give it a Five.

- (audio book) Small Wonders, by Barbara Kingsolver, read by the author. This is a collections of essays which could be the foundation of her new book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle .... This is a Seven for its thought provoking and creativity.

- (audio book) Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert and read by the author. Another New York Times best seller in social studies. I'm a planning kind of person (it's even in my job title), but what one thinks will make you happy is not what make you happy. Read the book, you won't regret. This is an Eight for its scientific yet entertaining content.

- Diana Chronicle, by Tina Brown. Yet another New York Times best seller. Once upon a time I was a young girl watching the fairy tale unfold. Camilla is sheer evil. A definite Ten.

- The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter, by David Colbert. My current night time reading with Henry. This is an A through Z guide of myths, legends and historical facts related to Potter books. A good way to get things started on history and mythologies. Very cool drawings with each entry. I give it a Seven for factual content and entertainment value.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Brothers

From my photo archive. Henry was young. Bucky was young, and very dark.