It's finished! I blocked it yesterday and today it's just lovely! Open, airy, but very warm. That's the mohair in it. Just the right length too. Here's a picture...



That will be my last prayer shawl.

I also worked on my wrap around/sarong style skirt today. It's been fun. I have to put a waistband facing on it, sew on buttons and buttonholes, then I'll be done.

We've been busy with yardwork all weekend. I finished weeding  today.  Well...as much as I'm going to do.  I'm not one for getting every little bit I must admit.  I think that's impossible here.  But I got rid of all the big stuff that was going to flower.  Paul helped me plant some petunias to fill in the gaps left by the weeds. 

I walked to a local yarn store this morning with my dropped stitch scarf I'm working on.  I was afraid I'd run out of yarn.  But the lady there weighed it and declared I'd be okay.  So I'm continuing in faith.  I asked her about blocking my last prayer shawl.  She showed me a special detergent for it and told me how to do it.  So I came home and blocked the shawl.  It's drying on the basement carpet.

I decided to attend a local stitch-in this afternoon.  I took my dropped stitch scarf.  Everyone loved it and wanted the pattern.  It's off the Internet and free, so that was good to be able to share with them.  However the yarn is quite expensive.  It's Double Sea Silk by Sea Maiden.  It makes a beautifully draped scarf.

I stopped by the library at stitch-in.  In fact, I stopped by two separate branches of the library.  One to return books and check out cookbooks (they have a better collection than the other library), and one to check out knitting books.

I also checked a naturopath's office that sells alkaline water.  Found out it was a lady I saw earlier this year who wanted me off medication and on a $450/mth. protocol.  I don't think I'll be going back to her.  Her diagnosis was sketchy at best.  I decided I could do without the water.

I visited a quilt shop and was able to find a better fabric for sashing for the sampler quilt.  I'm going to try sewing it up tomorrow.  I think...I have another quilt I want to machine quilt.  Plus a wrap skirt to sew.  The nice thing with this lady is she also had a whole line of coordinating fabrics that would work with the quilt.  That means I'll have border fabric as well as binding...and possibly backing.

I haven't been doing too well healthwise.  I've been putting on weight because I've had a sweet attack again.  I did really well with my diet today, and then blew it by going to DQ with Paul for a banana split (it's got fruit!).  However I have been able to consistently fit in my 7500 steps the last two weeks.  So that part is a success.  My weight is hovering in the 176 -177 range.  Rats!  I want it to go down, down, down...or I'll have to stop rewarding myself!

Well, maybe I skipped a week or so. But I have finished sorting all the fabric finally! I managed to rid myself of 8 boxes of fabric in that monumental de-cluttering and sorting. Next up?...

This week's challenge is to organize pins, needles, and stabilizers.

Mine are mostly already done. But there could be some fine tuning. Here's the current situation. I have pins everywhere. Mostly though, they are housed in a plastic drawer unit that's been in the family for years. Here's the situation...


I'm basically happy with storing new needles in these drawers, but slightly used needles tend to roll around under the dividers and I need a magnifying glass to see what size they are before putting them into the machine.  I'm hoping the nice pink pincushion below will solve my problem.


This is a box of stabilizers that I sorted through earlier this winter.  I was amazed at how much junk was in it.  Looks like it needs to be neatened a bit yet.  I may move them to a smaller box.

Well, that should keep me occupied for awhile.  I'll post when I'm finished so you can see my solutions to this situation.

Gardening used to be a favourite hobby of mine...until we moved here.  We have had nothing but trouble with this climate and soil.  Our yard is overrun with weeds and the neighbors don't like us because of it.  We are fighting a losing battle.  This little hummer travels underground on a rhizome and periodically sends down tap roots.  It conveniently breaks off at the runner when you pull it.  Ultimately the only way to get at it is to dig it...a good 2 feet down.  Even herbicides don't work on this baby.  We've tried them.  We were always organic until this weed...

Anyway, Paul and I spent some much needed time in the garden today. We pulled out the tallest weeds to start with. Then proceeded in on the smaller ones, digging up root systems of weeds, separating weed roots and plant roots, planting herbs, etc. I pulled major weeds from the container garden today. Also planted the herb garden (yes, I know it's the end of June!). Everything is a month late this year.

Here are some of the results of our work...

The herbs in the short white basket, backed by lettuce and green onion in the green pot, and tomatoes in the large wooden container.  The beets in the brown pot were chewed off the instant the leaves came up.  We're suspecting birds.  The carrots and radishes are doing okay in the container beside the tomatoes.  The remaining four or five little pots to the left of the photo are all different types of strawberries.  We never get any because the squirrels eat them when they're small and green.


This is our bird feeder which we no longer use.  The squirrels climb up that pole and eat all the seed.  While they're around they make short work of the garden too.  So there is no bird seed in the feeder anymore.  At the base of the feeder are my bush beans.  The white flowers in the back are Shasta daisies.  They are supposed to be prolific in our area, but we can barely get them to survive in our yard.


I am not overly pleased with the gardening situation here for sure.  This is such a far cry from the garden I used to have at our old home.  Every time I see this one I am so dismayed.  It is such a lot of work for such little results.  I am thinking it would be better to rip it all up and put down gravel or pea stone.  I'm tired of fighting it. 

on the bald prairieee....  the end of the springtime potluck season.  I had a potluck to attend this morning. I am always amazed at the way people transport food and dishes to these gatherings.  Some have these neat little sewn cases to hold all their dishes and cutlery.  Others have quilted holders for casserole pots, etc. 

My friend and I have dubbed them the PPP - the Professional Potluck Participants!  They are always there, dressed appropriately, with the appropriate food, and, when asked, will whip out the pattern to make their perfect case for you.  They attend several potlucks a year and can regale you with stories and recipes from each one.  When it comes time for a potluck they know just who to call to get the right dishes on the table, and they have the diplomacy to invite those people and have them think the whole thing was their idea.  Amazing women!

All potlucks should come with a surgeon general's warning at the entrance: "WARNING: May be dangerous to your health".  The food and calories are incredible!  In an effort to keep my weight in check:

• I took a luncheon plate instead of a dinner plate,
• I took food I could eat (fruit crisp made with Splenda, and fresh cherries),
• I limited myself to one plate full of the main course,
• I only took a dessert if it had a fruit or vegetable in it (fruit crisp made with Splenda, fresh fruit and 1/2" wide slice of carrot cake),
• I filled my cup with water as soon as I got there to keep me from going for the pop laced punch.
• I decided it would be my sole meal until suppertime.  We ate it at 11 a.m.
• I am going for a long walk tonight.

It must have worked because I don't feel too stuffed right now...and I just had homemade tacos in soft tortilla shells. 

So I think that's my last potluck of the season.  This weekend is a church picnic.  If I make it through to Monday and am below 176 lbs. I'll be very happy.

But because she is frugal in certain areas, she can afford to splurge in others. This is my new teapot.


It is a Lomonosov teapot from St. Petersburg, Russia. It was not cheap. I have been looking for a 2-3 cup teapot for six months now. I have searched for one for free off the Net and haven't scored the 2-3 cup size. Lots of individual teapots in a cup, but they dribble when you pour.  I only shop locally when I'm dealing with the Internet because shipping costs are horrendous.  And for something like a teapot, I want to try it with water before I spend a lot of money shipping something useless.

I thought I'd use my large china one, but I grew a bit nervous when the handle started to move on me. Sure enough, it had a fine crack at the base. I pulled out the Krazy Glue (TM) and glued it back on...and only use it when necessary now.

I tried a large Henley teapot that I'd inherited, but the handle heated up so badly I couldn't pour it without scalding myself.

Mom had also left me a 6 cup Cream and Lace teapot. I used that too, but it is often just too big for the places I set the teapot when I drink by myself or just have a cup with a friend.

So...after months of shopping around and having people pour water from teapots to see if they dribble, I finally broke down and paid the price for this teapot. I justified it by all the above, plus by saying I was going to take it out of my inheritance. That quells any arguments from Paul. 

Now I enjoy my tea in peace.  And I don't have oodles leftover to throw out or use up.  Call me strange, but I notice a difference in taste between fresh made tea and tea that's been sitting overnight on the counter!

What do they have in common? Well they came in the same package for me the other day...well kind of...a piece of blue African cloth was tucked in with the blueberries my little sister shipped to me. Her daughter had picked it up in Africa and didn't know what to do with it. So asked her mom to ship it to me. Now what would you do with this lovely cloth?

It's 34" wide by 4.5 yds long. The pattern repeat (which is huge!) is 30". It's cotton and all I can think to do is quilt it somehow. Any ideas?